The 40th Annual Oktoberfest Family Breakfast attracted thousands to Bingemans in Kitchener on Saturday, October 5. The event featured over 40 students from Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts cooking pancakes for the community. Admission was free, with monetary donations for the Grand River Hospital Foundation or non-perishable food donations for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region encouraged upon entry.
Students from the School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts volunteered to cook pancakes for the community at the Oktoberfest Family Breakfast.
Dan McCowan, executive chef of Conestoga’s student-run Bloom restaurant, was on-site to help lead the students through the morning.
“It gives us a really great feeling to be a part of this event every year,” McCowan said.
“It helps with our goal of training students in real-world settings, and it also plays a large role in giving back to the community while helping our students get involved and make connections.”
Ravjas Singh Kalra, a second-year student in the Culinary Management program, was volunteering for a second time at the event, and was able to see the impact both personally and for the community.
“It’s a charity breakfast that’s free for people. It’s good to see people happy, and I make really good connections.”
Kalra also commented on the valuable practical skills he learns at events like these.
“We’re cooking eight to ten thousand pancakes in six hours, which is a busy shift. So I learn how to cook fast. How to be fast. And people are coming fast.”
The team of students was on-site at 4:00 a.m. and worked through a chilly morning to get their stations set-up ahead of the doors opening at 7:00 a.m. The festive atmosphere included a live band and a visit from the Onkel Hans Oktoberfest mascot.
Donations collected support the Grand River Hospital Foundation’s Grand River Kids programs and their unique services geared to the needs of babies, toddlers and kids at Grand River Hospital.
“It raises money for the kids, which is always an important thing to do for kids programs in our city. Ultimately, getting thousands of people together for free pancakes is a feel-good moment,” said Paul McIntyre Royston, president & CEO of Grand River Hospital Foundation, who also praised the students for their contribution to the event.
“They’re the only reason we have pancakes. They come out at 4:00 a.m. and they work the griddles. They’re always smiling in their crisp uniforms. We absolutely couldn’t do it without them. We’re just so grateful.”
The community breakfast is part of the annual Oktoberfest, a festival that has been running in Kitchener-Waterloo for over 50 years and celebrates community and the region’s German heritage through a series of social, cultural and charitable events.
Named one of Canada’s top four culinary schools in 2024 by University Magazine, Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts is a leader in culinary and hospitality programming that prepares students for successful careers in Canada’s tourism industry. Students learn from faculty members with extensive industry experience as they develop practical knowledge and theoretical skills. The Waterloo campus is home to its state-of-the-art culinary skills labs and student-run Bloom restaurant.