Making and Mixing the Batter for Springfield’s Big Pancake Breakfast
May 13, 2026Categories: Events
It’s an annual springtime rite of passage in the Mercy Medical Center cafeteria – food service colleagues mixing more than 500 gallons of pancake batter for the Spirit of Springfield and the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast.
Mercy’s Asha Dhamija, MD, MPH, CHCQM, Chief Medical Officer; and State Representative Carlos Gonzalez, Honorary Chair of the Spirit of Springfield’s World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast; pour pancake batter while First Cook Hector Matos looks on.
State Representative Carlos Gonzalez, Honorary Chair of the event, joined Mercy’s Asha Dhamija, MD, MPH, CHCQM, Chief Medical Officer, and Food and Nutrition colleagues Caroline Ortiz and Hector Matos to mix batter for the breakfast.
The World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast has been a staple in the greater Springfield community since 1986, and Mercy colleagues have helped with the batter since 2008.
This year’s Big Pancake Breakfast celebrated both America's 250th anniversary and the City of Springfield's 390th birthday. The event typically draws thousands of attendees who enjoy pancakes, as well as bacon, coffee, milk, and juice.