Kiwanis opens fair and honors Kiwanian Don Whaley |Video of midway

Video of the midway and answers to your fair questions in the story

Don Whaley and Lisa Turner cut the ribbon Credit: Grice Connect

The Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair committee officially cut the ribbon on the 60th annual Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair at 4 pm on Monday, October 17, 2022.

Lisa Turner, 2022 Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair Chair recognized, in addition to the beauty queens representing the club, one special guest retired Kiwanian Don Whaley. Mr. Whaley assisted in cutting the ribbon with all of his family watching. Little did Mr. Whaley know, but the fair committee had one more surprise for him.

Don Whaley and his wife in front of the newly named pancake building

They walked with him and his family through the building toward the pancake house where he had devoted so much of his time as a Kiwanian and told him to look up. Turner then read his name on the sign and told him that the committee had decided to add his name to the building dedication along with Marion Brantley.

Mr. Whaley responded that he didn't feel worthy of such an honor. Obviously the fair committee disagreed.

Don Whaley #1 Pancake Flipper

After serving as fair committee chair for two years in 1999 and 2000, Kiwanian Don Whaley became the key figure during the next two decades for the continued success and popularity of the Pancake House. In a 2007 interview with the Statesboro Herald, Whaley estimated the Pancake House was selling about 350 pounds of sausage each day of the fair and for about 2,100 pounds for the week. In the 2010 dedication of the fair book to Whaley, he was designated the “#1 Pancake Flipper”.