CONQUEST - Cookies and milk may be the traditional treats left out for Santa on Christmas Eve, but on Sunday morning, it was pancakes and sausage.

To help usher in this week's much anticipated holiday, the Conquest Fire Hall, while hosting its monthly pancake breakfast, also welcomed special guest Santa Claus.

Jean Stoneburg, breakfast chairperson, said she has been involved for the past two years, but having Santa visit before Christmas is a tradition that goes back much farther.

“It is something fun to do for the kids,” Stoneburg said. “I think everyone that came here today had a lot of fun and the kids really liked seeing Santa.”

Stoneburg said that despite the weather and early morning road conditions, the Santa breakfast went well.

“I'd say we had over 100 people here today,” Stoneburg said. “That was pretty good with the weather. We had a few kids and I think that everyone really loved having breakfast with Santa.”

Among those making the journey were Jeff Empie and his son Jordan, 4.

Empie, of Weedsport, said his in-laws live in Conquest, so he and his son decided to drive up to visit and make it for breakfast.

“We just decided to come up and help support the cause,” Empie said. “And bring Jordan here to see Santa. He really loved it, he loved seeing Santa. I think it is great that they do something like this for the kids.”

Jordan couldn't get enough of Santa and spent much of his time walking around with and talking, sharing his Christmas wishes with the big man himself.

Jordan said he asked Santa for a race track, as well as nice gifts for his mom and dad.

Having breakfast with Santa was the perfect thing to get Jordan excited for the holiday.

“It was good,” Jordan said. “I told him I've been good and I'm excited for Christmas. I like opening presents the best.”

On Thursday morning, Jordan and others will be opening their gifts bright and early.

Along the same lines, the pancake breakfasts are helping to make another kind of gift possible.

Stoneburg said for the past year, a serious fund raising effort has helped make a dream that her husband Ernest set in motion, a reality.

She said funds raised from these breakfasts are going toward the creation of a baseball field at the town's recreation grounds.

The field, when completed will be dedicated in honor of Ernest Stoneburg. Stoneburg said through other fund raising efforts, the area has grown considerably, encompassing fields for soccer, a basketball court, as well as two pavilion areas that are used throughout the spring and summer months.

She believes the addition of a baseball field will only help make the park better.

So far, the pancake breakfasts, which run the third Sunday of every month from 8 a.m. to noon, have been a big help in reaching the goal, but Stoneburg said there's always more to be done.

“We wouldn't be as far as we are without all the people that help out,” Stoneburg said. “So far we are doing well for the baseball field and we hope to start working on it in the spring. But even after that there is still more we want to do, like have benches on the walkway. But everybody has been very supportive and without all of them supporting things like this it wouldn't get done.”