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High School students involved with the Asbury Park unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Keystone Commission will host a pancake breakfast at the club on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Money raised from the breakfast will be used to help the club purchase reflective winter gear for five Asbury Park crossing guards, according to Douglas Eagles, executive director of the Monmouth County Boys & Girls Clubs.

The initiative is part of a greater community effort that seeks to outfit the city’s 30 crossing guards with winter coats, hats and gloves, he said.

Members of the Asbury Park Police Department reached out to the city’s Chamber of Commerce for help purchasing the winter gear for the city’s 30 crossing guards, Eagles said. In turn, the Chamber reached out to Eagles who was able to gather support from other nonprofit agencies in the city.

The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, Asbury Park unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County, Community Affairs and Resource Center, and Interfaith Neighbors will each donate finds to sponsor five crossing guards, he said.

“We are still trying to get the last 10 covered and will present a check to the police department for all of the funds,” he said.

The total cost to sponsor one individual is $60.

“We all have an interest in making sure our crossing guards are safe, because they are responsible for making sure our children are safe as they make their way out of school and over to the club,” he said.

The Keystone Commission is the club’s leadership and community service group. Besides pancakes, the students will also serve eggs, bacon and other breakfast items. The cost is $3 per child, $5 per adult, and $6 for a breakfast “to go.”

The Asbury Park Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs is located at 1201 Monroe Ave.

For information about sponsoring one of the remaining 10 crossing guards, contact Douglass Eagles at 732-775-7862 or douglas@bcgmonmouth.org, or Jackie Pappas, executive director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, at 732-775-7676 or executivedirector@asburyparkchamber.com.]

[Photo at top of the Asbury Park unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Keystone Commission provided courtesy of Douglas Eagles.]

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