Dads Cook up Pancakes for School Families

Members of the Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School Dads Club flipped pancakes last Saturday, Jan. 22, in a fund-raiser that was expected to raise more than $4,000.

“This is our main annual fund-raiser,” said Dads Club President Kevin French.

The Dad’s Club was established in the late 1950s, said French, and purchased a building across from Verdugo Park, where the group still holds its meetings and most of their fund-raisers. The building is a stone structure with a large fireplace and a stage, which the club rents out to private parties and donates to groups like the Boy Scouts and Little League.

The Dads Club has a long history of supporting Verdugo Woodlands Elementary. Every June the Dads put on “Fathers Follies,” adding their own unique twist to popular plays. This June 3 and 4 club members will perform “Zilly Zonka,” an alternate version of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

“This is the longest-running Dads [event] in the state,” said French of the Follies. Posters showing the 50 years of Follies line the walls of the clubhouse.

Today, the Dads Club will sponsor a family movie night at the clubhouse, located at 1728 Cañada Blvd., next to Glendale Fire Station No. 24. Parking is available in the Verdugo Park lot across the street. Admission is $3 per person and attendees are advised to bring a blanket, lawn chair or pillow. The movie showing will be “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder. Everyone is invited to attend.