St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Fort Dodge will be hosting a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper Feb. 21 to mark the kickoff to the Lenten season.

The church will be serving pancakes, sausage, syrup, milk, orange juice and coffee for just $10 per person. Children under 5 are free. Takeout will also be available.

The supper will run from 4:30-7 p.m. at St. Mark’s, located at 1007 First Ave. S.

According to Rev. Kris Leaman, the tradition of being shriven is to prepare for the season of Lent.

“It’s a time when we confess and it’s a time for penance and the absolution of our sins,” she said. “Lent is a season of fasting and a season of prayer and reflection in our lives as we prepare for the great feat of Easter.”

Leaman explained, in the past on Shrove Tuesday, people would clean out their larders of sugars and lard and fat along with cakes and sweets as they prepared to fast.

“They were using up all those things and thought pancakes were a good thing to make,” she said.

Leaman said the church will have both plain and blueberry pancakes and they are all you care to eat.

“We’ll be working on getting the batter all mixed up and ready to go. We’ve really got it down to a science,” she said.

Proceeds from the supper go toward the outreach programs supported by the church. Leaman said the church hopes to be able to replenish the community cupboard that was started at the church and has been used often.

“We get a lot of foot traffic in front of the church so we may use some of the funds to replenish things in our cupboard like nonperishable food and hygiene items,” she said.

Leaman also said the church has been doing “change for change” to support different groups each month. This month all the change collected will be going to Almost Home, the local animal rescue shelter. She said some of the pancake supper proceeds may go to Almost Home along with a few other recipients.

“It will be put to good use, that’s for sure,” she said.