Lewis Hall hosts annual breakfast benefit

The women of Lewis Hall will open their doors Friday night to host the annual Lewis House of Pancakes (LHOP) charity event, which aims to benefit charities fighting hunger in the South Bend region.

Sophomore Caroline Hogan, one of the event commissioners, said LHOP is a great way to begin the academic year with a night that brings people together for a greater cause. The event will take place from 9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.

“I really like LHOP because it shows the sense of community that Lewis is all about,” Hogan said. “The event allows us to share Lewis with students all across campus, some of whom might not even know where Lewis is.”

The entry fee into the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet is $5, cash only, with all benefits going to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, a local program that addresses food insecurity.

Hogan said the buffet-style setup makes LHOP the perfect event for Lewis to hold.

“We have full kitchens on every floor, so it works out well for us to cook the food and have it ready for people to eat,” she said. “The space also allows us to have over 1,000 people show up and support the cause.”

Food that will be available to students who come to support the food bank include cinnamon rolls, pancakes, eggs, bacon and a gluten-free section. The food will be spread out among the four floors of Lewis Hall.

Hogan’s co-commissioner, junior Martha Blatt, said leadership tries to keep the logistics of LHOP consistent and focused on maintaining the conditions that worked well in past years.

“One specific thing that was new last year was the gluten-free section which we feel opens the event up and allows the event to be more comfortable and accessible for everyone,” Blatt said. “Other than that, it’s like a well-oiled machine. It’s great to see everyone come together and volunteer their time and work alongside each other to make the event run smoothly.”

Each year after LHOP, Lewis Hall usually sends a group of residents to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana to volunteer and see where the funds are going. Senior Holly Miller, who no longer lives in Lewis Hall but helped with LHOP in previous years, had the opportunity to visit the food bank last fall.

“Basically they have a big warehouse where they keep all of the non-perishable food that they use to feed the hungry population in the area,” Miller said. “So we were just organizing the food and filling up boxes and such. It’s a big undertaking because they get a ton of food, and they need a lot of volunteers, so it’s very cool to be able to contribute to that organization.”

Even though LHOP is not a new tradition for Lewis, Hogan and Blatt said the fall event is one way that returning residents share the love and spirit of their hall with new members.

“One of my favorite parts of LHOP is seeing the first-years play a role in the event,” Blatt said. “It’s really their first big event on campus as Chicks.”

This year in particular, Lewis has a new rector and assistant rector to teach the ways of LHOP.

“Part of the event this year is sharing the Lewis culture with them through the planning of the annual event,” Hogan said. “It really brings our community together to share our culture with the rest of the Notre Dame community. Watch out for Lewis girls dressed in chicken suits in your classes to gear up for Friday.”