Mike Smith:
Monday morning, Trail 103.3, KDTR FM Florence, Missoula. Mike Smith here—and something to look forward to besides the beautiful weather over the next couple of days is the Kiwanis 65th Annual Pancake Breakfast.

Karen Orzac is in the Trail studio. I don’t believe you’ve been on the radio with us before.

Karen Orzac:
I don’t think so, but I’m so happy to be here today.

Mike Smith:
You’re fairly well known in Missoula to those of us who’ve been around. There are a couple types of people who know you—besides friends and family. There are folks who came before you when you were Justice of the Peace.

Karen Orzac:
Oh yeah.

Mike Smith:
And those folks are probably like, “Whoa, Karen Orzac!”

Karen Orzac:
(laughs) Yeah.

Mike Smith:
You were Justice of the Peace for 20 years.

Karen Orzac:
Twenty years—and I’ve been retired for 10 now. I’m very active in the Missoula Kiwanis Club.

Mike Smith:
That’s interesting, because that role—while not technically political—is something you had to get elected to. Do you miss any of that?

Karen Orzac:
No. I am so happy being retired. It’s a wonderful life.

Mike Smith:
There’s another group of people—myself included—who know you because you officiated weddings. I didn’t have to go in front of you for legal matters, fortunately—but you did marry me.

Karen Orzac:
That was a fun day!

Mike Smith:
And you mentioned you weren’t the one dealing with any wedding-day drama.

Karen Orzac:
No, everything went well!

Mike Smith:
But you must have had some memorable moments. You’ve officiated a lot of weddings.

Karen Orzac:
Yes—I’ve done over a thousand weddings.

Mike Smith:
Whoa!

Karen Orzac:
It’s been a good life.

Mike Smith:
So people probably come up to you and say, “Hi Karen!” and you’re thinking, “Did I marry you or put you in jail?”

Karen Orzac:
(laughs) Exactly! I don’t always remember—but I’ve had good experiences with everyone. It’s been a real blessing.

Mike Smith:
You were known as being fair—a great Justice of the Peace for Missoula County.

Karen Orzac:
Thank you.

Mike Smith:
Thanks for coming in. You’re energetic and ready to roll this morning—we appreciate you being here to talk about the 65th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, coming up Saturday, April 25th.

Karen Orzac:
Saturday from 7:30 to noon.

Mike Smith:
Let’s talk about Kiwanis. What do you do? What’s the mission?

Karen Orzac:
The Kiwanis Club of Missoula has been around for over 100 years. Our mission is to serve the youth of our community.

We raise money through events—like parking cars at KettleHouse, helping at the fair, and this pancake breakfast, which is our biggest fundraiser of the year.

The money goes to organizations like Youth Homes, Boys and Girls Club, YWCA, Zootown Arts—anything that supports at-risk children, education, or youth programs.

We also run a middle school basketball program and host a banquet for those kids. And we’ve started working with “Reading Opens Your World,” with volunteers helping kids learn to read in local schools.

We’re all about serving kids.

Mike Smith:
All about kids and community. If people want to get involved, how do they become a Kiwanian?

Karen Orzac:
Anyone is welcome! We meet every Tuesday at noon at Westside Lanes. You can also visit our website—there’s a “Become a Member” section.

Mike Smith:
And if someone just wants to support you right now, they can donate online.

Karen Orzac:
Yes, absolutely—there’s a donation tab.

Mike Smith:
Or just show up to the pancake breakfast.

Karen Orzac:
Yes! For just $5, you get all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, applesauce, coffee, tea—you name it.

Mike Smith:
Kids five and under eat free. Breakfast runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon at St. Anthony Parish Life Center in Missoula. Tickets are available at the door.

All proceeds support kids in our community.

Karen Orzac:
We’ll also have music this year, a coloring contest for kids, and prizes. It’s really about community—coming together, being face-to-face, and having a good time.

Mike Smith:
Showing up for people.

Karen Orzac:
Exactly.

Mike Smith:
Sometimes you know the kids, sometimes you don’t—but you know it matters.

Karen Orzac:
Absolutely.

Mike Smith:
The Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast—this Saturday, 7:30 to noon. You can even sleep in a little…

Karen Orzac:
(laughs) Not too late!

Mike Smith:
Make sure you get there by at least 11.

Karen Orzac:
Yes!

Mike Smith:
Any final thoughts?

Karen Orzac:
We’re hoping for a beautiful day—but rain or shine, we’ll have a tent set up and we’ll be ready to serve pancakes.

Mike Smith:
Rain or shine. Karen Orzac, thanks for stopping by Trail 103.3.

Karen Orzac:
Thank you so much, Mike.