Six years ago, Stacie Rivers and her husband, Bard Coats, were introduced to Pancakes on the Plaza. The couple, which splits time between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, Nev., met with neighbors from the Aspen Compound community to enjoy the annual July 4 breakfast.

"It was so much fun, we decided we would start volunteering," Rivers said. The couple invited family to visit and volunteer with them. "We had relatives that came in from Oklahoma, Arizona, Nevada and California after we told them how much fun it was," she said.

Over the past five years, it's become a family tradition that draws about 15 family members. This year, Rivers said she expects about 20 in her volunteer crew, because relatives from Hawaii and friends from Georgia have committed to helping.

The family always splits up to work two shifts, Rivers said, but "everybody who comes basically works the whole six hours in one way or another."

Then, when the day is over, the family heads to the Coats/Rivers home for a dinner and awards ceremony. In the past few years, Rivers has started the tradition of giving humorous awards to the family. She awards an "Octogenarian" — one 80-year-old volunteer — and names a "Griddle Hog," which was her husband.

"He never wants to give up the griddle," Rivers said.

She recommends volunteering to people who haven't had the honor yet.

"It might seem like a lot of work, but it's not work at all," Rivers said. "It's so much fun, and there's so much camaraderie. It's such a joy to serve the guests who come — everybody is in a good mood and the bandstand is playing. Everyone has a lot of fun laughing and joking around. It's some of the most fun that all of us have as a family every single year."

Rivers' father, John Rivers, celebrated his 80th birthday — which falls on July 5 — two years ago by flipping pancakes. This year, two new additions to the family — 1-year-old cousins — will be starting their Pancakes on the Plaza tradition.

It's crunch time for the folks planning the event. While they're looking for more volunteers like Rivers and her family, they also are looking for corporate and individual sponsors. The weakened economy and a late start in soliciting corporate sponsorships has left the planning committee behind in fundraising compared to previous years. Pancakes on the Plaza chairwoman Terry Williams-Keffer said soliciting sponsorships has been rough.

"It's more stressful due to the economy as well as United Way no longer being in on (the event)," Williams-Keffer said. "We're having a harder time getting corporate sponsors for the pancake breakfast, and we really need to have those so we can raise funds to get to the community."

This year is the first year United Way of Santa Fe is not a partner in the planning of the event. That responsibility now falls to the Rotary Club Foundation, which has been involved for the past three years. Virginia Byrd, a member of the Santa Fe Rotary Club and the driving force behind recruiting volunteers for the event, said United Way decided not to be part of the event so that it could focus on other endeavors.

"They've very busy with their grants, and they felt at this time it was a good time to give us the program and bow out," Byrd said.

Greg Heltman, president of the Rotary Club Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the Santa Fe Rotary Club, said Pancakes on the Plaza still will be a way to raise money for local charitable organizations.

"We will continue making grants as a result of the proceeds of the pancake breakfast to Santa Fe humanitarian- and social-needs organizations," Heltman said. "There's where all the money goes — the net money for ticket sales, sponsorships and T-shirt sales."

Heltman added that the money will be awarded to organizations that submit proposals for Rotary Club Foundation review, something he said will allow them to "be fair and equitable and reach as many people as we can.

"We assure the public that the pancake breakfast is very, very strong in that continued effort and there should be no doubt about the intent of The New Mexican and the Rotary Club Foundation."

The New Mexican is a sponsor of the event.

Williams-Keffer said in the past few years, the turnout for the event has been low because the holiday has fallen on a three-day weekend like it does this year. She expects this year's turnout to be low but anticipates a better crowd for the 2012 event because the holiday falls on a Tuesday.

The planning team is hoping sponsors will start to come forward. This year there is even an opportunity for people to be "individual" sponsors. The higher-level sponsors, Williams-Keffer noted, will be able to set up information booths on the Plaza and get their name out into the community.

The "Pancake of the Year" competition also is underway and any restaurant that claims to have the best pancakes can enter. Last year, Tortilla Flats won the inaugural competition.

In addition to volunteers and sponsors, the team wants people to come out and enjoy the day.

"The pancake breakfast maintains that sense of community and neighborliness," Heltman said. "The pancake breakfast is something that we all look forward to."

For more information on volunteering, becoming a sponsor or entering the "Pancake of the Year" competition, call Williams-Keffer at 984-0022 or visit www.pancakesontheplaza.com.

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.