It is a tradition that goes back over 30 years. To take part in it is an honor, a reward in itself, where one's hunger can finally be satisfied. It is super and involves a bowl or two. It is breakfast.

Breakfast was served by the County Seat Mineola Kiwanis at the Mineola Community Center last weekend at their party held every year on Super Bowl Sunday.

Just as the Super Bowl is known as an American institution, so is this breakfast a Mineola institution that brings together the business owners and professionals of the Village of Mineola to serve the community and raise money for local charities this one day each year.

Preparations for the actual breakfast began the previous day when fan favorite Tommy O'Brien set up all the tables and chairs in the Mineola Community Center.

On Sunday, the preparations continued with O'Brien and hot newcomer Artie Egner who worked diligently to set up the field for the days festivities.

The Kiwanians arrived soon after, and with Chair or Coach Lud Odierna and Offensive Coordinator Ursula Odierna calling out the plays, the Kiwanians, gridiron or more appropriately griddle iron warriors, leapt into action, rolling up their sleeves and getting down to work.

"This is what it's all about," said star player Cecilia Bastos who manned the orchard table or juice station for the duration of the day, "Anybody can write a check."

It might be old hat to Bastos, the two plus year Kiwanian, but what of the pressures this rigorous day presents for the new talent, the rookies.

Wheatley High School freshman and Key Club member Jaime Gold remarked, "I have never seen anything like it."

Despite their awe, all the Key Club members went to work serving breakfast for the large crowds that flooded the gates to enjoy the spectacle of Kiwanis Breakfast.

Have the rookies learned from this experience? Fellow freshman and Key Club member Erica Waldbaum said she learned, "to be nice to people," an important lesson of any Kiwanis related event.

The County Seat and Mineola Kiwanis, a fraternal organization of business people and professionals, called upon their resources and like the Super Bowl broadcast where the commercials become as much a part of the event as the game, they called upon sponsors to support their efforts.

Mineola donated the use of the community center, Bernie Kennedy of King Kullen donated the syrup and the butter, Manny Carvalho of Churrasqueira Bairrada Rodizio Restaurant donated the sausages, Entenmann's donated the buns, Bakers of All Nations donated the rolls, the Sparta Diner donated the coffee and Tony DeFranco of the International House of Pancakes donated the pancakes which were made and served by Chef Joe Carvalho.

A true professional Carvalho arrived at 8 a.m. and single handedly manned the grill, a donation from the Boy Scouts, until the end. Carvalho, a likely candidate for MVP, was quick to share the credit of a successful operation with Herta Tschern, branch manager of the First National Bank of Long Island, who labored away on the sausages.

"Everybody's working together," said Carvalho.

"It can't be pulled off unless you have the cooperation," agreed Lud Odierna in classic sports philosophy.

"I am really happy the way this turned out. It was a triumph," said Maria Leitao, president of the organization, "The first part is the 'tr(i)'ying and all the members are trying. The 'umph' is all the people who came to the breakfast. Put them together, you have triumph."

And though some of her fellow team members looked with a bit of skepticism on her platitude worthy of any sports motivating legend, they would agree with Leitao's statement, "With Kiwanis the children are priority one."

With that in mind any event that can help the children and at the same time bring a community together would have to indeed be considered a triumph.