FORT RILEY, Kan. - About 150 people took advantage of the Month of the Military Child pancake breakfast April 10 at School Age Services.

The free breakfast consisted of pancakes, sausage links, fruit salad, orange juice and coffee.

"It's a great time for Families to come out and just enjoy being a Family together with no stress over cooking or anything like that," said Cheryl Greathouse, Child, Youth and School Services administrator.

The annual event has grown from previous years, Greathouse said.

"The past three or four years, we've been really trying to promote it out in the community and make it a bigger event," she said. "It's always been open to the community, but I think it's finally catching on."

The breakfast is a great opportunity for Families to come together, Greathouse said.

"It's a time where they can sit down and talk as a Family and also interact with other Families," she said. "I heard a number of conversations today and people were sharing stories about experiences through deployment."

An inflatable obstacle course was set up so Families had a reason to not dine and dash after finishing breakfast.

"This is another way we encourage the Families to stick around for a little bit rather than just come eat and leave," Greathouse said. "I saw parents talking while the kids were entertained burning energy on the inflatable."

Events like the pancake breakfast, Greathouse said, were important to plan throughout April.

"We want to recognize military children because it's a rough lifestyle," she said. "We try to have a number of events throughout the month to really keep the spirit going."

For more information on CYSS, call 785-239-9885 or visit www.rileymwr.com and click "CYSS."