• Special to the Daily Leader

Four days of Pancake Day festivities will get under way Saturday, beginning with pancake flipping and eating contests at 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

To add a little more excitement this year, the Pancake Day Board will award cash prizes to the first three places in each category, in addition to trophies. The board has also eliminated the entry fee for these contests.

The winner in the flipping contest is the person who can flip a flapjack the most times in a 3-minute period. (Division I flips for a shorter time.) This contest is open to all ages, with contestants flipping in three separate age divisions (I: 7 years and younger; II: 8-13 years; and III: 14 years and older).

The pancake eating contest, set to begin immediately after the flipping contest is over, requires entrants to compete to see who can completely consume a set number of pancakes in the shortest amount of time.

The eating contest features the same three age divisions as the flipping contest.

The flapjacks will be the same size for everyone, about five inches in diameter. Division I contestants will be required to eat one pancake, Division II pancake lovers will consume three flapjacks each, and those aged 14 and older will be hurrying to down five pancakes each.

Cash prizes of $25 for first place, $15 for second, and $10 for third will be awarded in each division.

Contestants must sign up at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 323 N. Kansas Ave., beginning at 9 a.m.  the day of the contest, Saturday.  All contestants must sign up at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of their division’s contest.

For more information, call 624-6423.