The aroma of country ham permeated the air as the Elizabethtown Woman’s Club hosted its annual Harvest Breakfast.
The event Saturday at Pritchard Community Center in Elizabethtown is an annual fundraiser for the club to support its missions, which include scholarships and donations to nonprofit organizations.
“We have another fundraiser, which is the tea in December, but this one is usually our biggest,” said Diane McCamish, who was in charge of organizing the breakfast as part of her duties as first vice president of the club. “We love to give back to the community and everything we make, we give all that back to the community.”
What makes the fundraiser so successful is one of the entree items and being able to gather with friends, McCamish said.
“The country ham and then the fellowship,” she said. “A lot of people like to get out and see each other.”
Along with the ham, the breakfast included biscuits, eggs, baked apples and sausage gravy.
Club members arrived around 6:30 a.m. to ready the breakfast with some items prepared before they arrived.
“Not only is it a fundraiser, but it is a time we can get together, work together and build our friendships,” McCamish said.
While the breakfast is an annual fall tradition, this year it preceded the city of Elizabethtown’s Heartland Harvest festival, which McCamish saw as a potential benefit as it could draw others to the event.
At the breakfast to enjoy a meal was Marlene Broderick, who was there to support club member Tuula Poikonen.
“My friend has been working this for years and years and years,” she said of Poikonen. “She makes wonderful food for it, she helps serve. She serves the community and that is what I eel this does, it brings the community together and it serves it in a very positive way.”
And the breakfast is good, too, Broderick said.
“I have a plate ready to take home,” she said. “It’s always good.”
Also there to support his wife and the organization’s mission was Allan Poikonen, Tula’s husband. He was picking up several meals for family members.
Charlie and Rita Garrett were enjoying breakfast thanks to Dan McCamish, Diane’s husband, who purchased tickets for the couple. It was their first time at the event.
Charlie said they were both enjoying the meal.
“It’s delicious,” Rita said. “It’s all good.”