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KIRKSVILLE, MO --
Kirksville residents started their dreary Saturday with a plate of pancakes and sausage served by members of the Optimist Club. 

The club held its annual breakfast Saturday morning at Pickler's Famous in downtown Kirksville. Rain forced the event indoors for the first time in eight years. But a good crowd still came out to support the Optimist Club and its mission.
    
Each year the club donates the proceeds from the pancake breakfast to a different cause.

“We just kind of see what's going on in the community. We have speakers that come to our club every Wednesday morning, we meet once a week and we just kind of pick a program that would benefit the most children, because optimists are friends of youth, that's what we are and we just try to help the children of the community,” said Jerry Thomas, Club President.

The proceeds from this year's breakfast will benefit the summer reading programs at the Adair County Public Library.