Every year on the day before Lent (Shrove Tuesday), the communities of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England, take part in a time-honored tradition: the Pancake Day Race!

Dating back 600 years in England, the pancake race began when “a woman engrossed in using up cooking fats (forbidden during Lent) was making pancakes. Hearing the church bells ring calling everyone to the shriving service, she grabbed her head scarf (required in church) and ran 415 yards to the church, skillet and pancake in hand and still apron-clad. In following years, neighbors got into the act and it became a race to see who could reach the church first and collect a "Kiss of Peace" from the bell-ringer (Pancake Day Story).”

In 1950, Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a magazine photo of Olney’s pancake race and was inspired to race against them. The two communities have been racing annually ever since, and thanks to video calling capabilities, they are able to meet each year.

We were the sponsor of this year’s video call between the two racing locations. Elyse Torres, an operations support specialist in Liberal, represented Black Hills Energy at the event.

“We look forward to pancake day every year,” Torres said. “It’s a big event for Liberal!”

The Kansas event has grown to include a pancake breakfast, pancake eating and flipping contests and other activities.

The International Pancake Day Race is still the only race of its kind on the planet. If you would like to watch this year’s video call between the two racing locations, visit International Web Chat | pancake-day-usa (pancakeday.net)