For the first time in nearly 40 years, pancakes will not be served under the Blue Water Bridge prior to the Mackinac boat race.
The annual event put on by the Rotary Club of Sarnia, is going virtual this year with help from an acclaimed singer-songwriter with ties to Sarnia.
Rotarian Michael Kooy said despite the impact of COVID-19, the group didn't want to let the community down.
"So we got our heads together and we approached Cliff Erickson -- he's very highly regarded -- and we approached him and we said 'What do you think? Why don't we do a concert, online concert, you share your talent with us, and we're going to be able to put on something for the community and use this as a fundraiser,' and he said 'sure thing.'"
The performance will be online July 10 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and donations are being accepted at RotarySarnia.com.
Kooy said he thinks they can still capture some of that carnival atmosphere that you typically see down under the Blue Water Bridge.
"Using the talents of Cliff Erickson -- he puts on a great show, he's a wonderful guy, he's very popular in the area -- and we think doing it online will be a great way for people to connect," he said. "There's a feeling of community, there's a feeling of fun, there's a lot of people involved. We do other fundraisers, but this is one thing that really brings together thousands of people -- we normally serve 3,000 breakfasts over a four-hour period, and that's people coming through, and it's wonderful to see, there's kind of a carnival atmosphere."