Fundraising Pancake Breakfast, 7 Hills Ride This Weekend

Two events this Memorial Day Weekend--the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast and the Rotary Club’s 7 Hills of Kirkland bicycle ride--will support Kirkland’s own grassroots organization fighting homelessness.

Proceeds of the related events will go directly to the Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing (KITH), a small nonprofit agency based at that provides housing, food and counseling to families in need.

“This fundraiser pays for about a quarter of our program for the year," said Christine Rose, KITH development director. “So they are significant."

At any given time, KITH helps more than 20 local families with housing, food and other support.

The first event is the Kiwanis Club of Kirkland’s annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, 7:30-11:30 a.m., at the Peter Kirk Community Center (352 Kirkland Ave). The suggested donation is $7--some give more, some give less.

On Monday, the Rotary Club of Kirkland’s 7 Hills of Kirkland bicycle ride begins and ends at Marina Park, with registration at 6:30 a.m. and the course opening at 7. The traditional route is about 40 miles and climbs the hills of Kirkland--Market, Juanita, Seminary (Finn), Norway, Kingsgate, Winery and Rose. A longer metric century route throws in four hills in Redmond and climbs more than 4,000 vertical feet.

The ride is supported with food stops and at the end, participants can reload some carbs with strawberry shortcake. Day-of registration is $50 and $60.