Some of Newton County’s finest teachers and public safety officials tried their best to down pancakes as quickly as possible for the inaugural Covington Kiwanis Club’s pancake-eating contest, with the highest total ending up at eight pancakes eaten in five minutes.

Contestants could only eat one pancake at a time with a fork, and had no syrup, only water to soften the pancakes. Eastside High School science teacher Michael Kennedy won the high school contest with eight pancakes, while firefighter Brian Shirley won the public safety contest with seven pancakes. Liberty Middle School Teacher Suzanne McGinnis won the middle school contest with seven pancakes of her own.

The eating contests were part of the Kiwanis’ Club inaugural all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and the Newton Education Foundation's Pancake Stampede 5K run Saturday. Locals Brandy Heaffner and Eastside student Eli Galloway were the race winners. The Newton College and Career Academy played host to the event, which raised money for two local nonprofits, Kiwanis and the Newton Education Foundation, that both work to improve the lives of local students.