SHELBY —
The Millville United Methodist Church hosted one last feast before the start of Lent, continuing a Shrove Tuesday tradition.
The church’s annual pancake and sausage dinner drew hundreds of hungry church members. They left the church’s fellowship hall full after a meal of pancakes.
“It’s called Fat Tuesday because people gorge themselves,” Pastor Ray Noel said.
Tuesday’s menu included real New York maple syrup and applesauce made by church members from apples donated by Jeff Smith Farms.
“It’s really homemade,” Church Trustee Georgia Thomas, who was one of the applesauce makers, said.
Volunteers kept the pancake piles hot by preparing them ready-to-order. Dave Pike, one of the four men preparing pancakes, said the job didn’t require cooking expertise.
“I just look for the bubbles,” Pike said.
According to Thomas, the church has hosted a Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner for more than a century. The tradition dates back to when many of the foods that were once avoided during the pre-Easter period, necessitating a final meal to use up the ingredients.
The meal helped the church raise funds for a handicapped accessible bathroom at the church.



