’Tis the season for pancakes.

Although, around here that seems to be every season. On almost any given weekend, you can count on at least one pancake breakfast fundraiser.

This weekend, it’s the Kiwanis Club of Fort Walton Beach holding its annual Pancakes with a Heart Pancake Day breakfast at Choctawahatchee High School. Check the Eats items in the Community briefs for details.

If Tuesday rolls around and you still have a hankering for the fluffy goodness of pancakes that are doubly tasty because they’re helping charity, go to your nearest IHOP restaurant.

IHOP will serve millions of free pancakes that day during its fifth annual National Pancake Day.

Guests are invited to enjoy a free short stack of IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. that day. In return, IHOP asks guests to donate what they would have paid for the pancakes, or more, to the Children’s Miracle Network, according to a press release.

The IHOPs in Fort Walton Beach, 348 Miracle Strip Parkway, and in Destin, 10859 Emerald Coast Parkway, are participating. Call them at 243-9333 and at 650-1777, respectively.

Visit the IHOP Web site for the event at ihoppancakeday.com and you can sign up for a celebrity reminder call.

While we’re talking breakfast, Folgers coffee is holding a contest right now “to see which American can create the best, original version of the iconic ‘The Best Part of Wakin’ Up’ jingle,” a press release says.

The deadline is Feb. 28, and you can submit your entries online at the Web site: bestpartofwakinup.com.

They’re doing this to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the jingle, which debuted in 1984 during the “Horse Farm” commercial.

The grand prize winner will receive $25,000 and a chance to appear in a future commercial. The judge is none other than Kara DioGuardi of “American Idol” fame.

There will be five finalists, and you could win $10,000 just for picking the winner, the Web site says. Voting will begin March 28.

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I’ve watched a little of the Olympics each day except for the opening ceremonies. I didn’t think I could enjoy the pageantry after the death earlier Friday of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run.

What a devastating, preventable tragedy. If only officials had listened sooner to athletes’ concerns about the Whistler track.

While I agree in sentiment with the father’s statement that no athlete should die because of a mistake, in reality it happens. And, sometimes, they don’t do anything wrong.

A quick search of the Internet found that it has happened at least five times during previous Olympics: a luger and a downhill racer in 1964, a speed skier in 1992, a cyclist in 1960 and a marathon runner in 1912.

Nonetheless, the athletes have carried on, providing some amazing moments. Congrats to Apollo Ohno for his record-tying medal and Johnny Spillane for the first U.S. medal ever in Nordic Combined as well as to Canada's Alexandre Bilodeau for winning the first gold medal for his country during an Olympics in his country.

Snowboard Cross gold medalist Seth Wescott of the United States brought tears to my eyes with the story about his grandfather’s flag.

All cool.