The coffee was hot and the pancakes were green at the annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast put on by the staff and students at Humboldt Collegiate Institute.

The breakfast is a long-standing tradition that sees the staff and students gather with community members, local dignitaries, and former teachers. The fare is the standard green coloured pancakes with sausage, strawberries, whipped cream and a beverage. The warm welcome is just as it was when the tradition started 27 years ago.

This year's breakfast coordinator was Practical and Applied Arts teacher, Yvonne Gueguen, is quick to acknowledge the contributions of others in the success of the event. She says, "It's been going on for 27 years hear at HCI. I think it stems back to when Bob Bellamy was one of the main organizers of this. He still comes for breakfast; he phones to find out when it's happening." Those loyal patrons send out the word to the rest of the residents, particularly in years when St. Patrick's Day itself occurs on a weekend. Then the people flock.

Money collected for the breakfast is pure profit for the school given that the breakfast fare is donated. Asked what the proceeds of the breakfast go toward, Gueguen explains, "All the funds from the pancake breakfast are donated toward our HCI Christmas Cheer hamper. We usually wind up buying gifts for our students in need."

It's a noble St. Patrick's Day tradition that plays out at Christmas time.