Lone Oak Community Breakfasts

Food is an attraction or maybe an excuse for people to gather for anything, anytime and Lone Oakers are no exception. For evidence you only have to look at what over a few years, became an annual ritual in Lone Oak; the Lone Oak Community Breakfast.

Started in 2002 as the John E Robinson Homecoming Breakfast, a fund raising event for the newly founded John Robinson Scholarship Fund, the event quickly grew to become part of an annual weekend for class reunions and family visits. Well supported from the beginning, we could always depend on the high school principle and staff to be willing and capable hosts. When the high school closed in 2013 due to consolidation, the event was renamed to the Lone Oak Community Breakfast. Though the high school building became the middle school and administration and staffing changed, the event continued to be welcomed and supported.

In 2015, when the John Robinson Committee transitioned administration of the scholarship fund to the West Kentucky Community Foundation and oversite to the Lone Oak Alumni Association, the breakfast continued as an alumni event, but still receiveed donations to the JERS fund. Enthusiasm for the event continued and although it was a lot of work, we seldom had a doubt as to whether we would have a breakfast or not.

Unfortunately, in 2020, along with other events and establishments, the breakfast became a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. The school, on an on-again off-again lockdown could not open the cafeteria. The alumni did not deem it safe to hold an event that drew mostly older alumni many of whom were not desirous of traveling any distance or mingling in large crowds. The effort lost momentum and 2019 became the last year for the breakfast.

However, in 2007, we began taking pictures to document who and how many were attending. Now, looking back, we can remember the annual turnout, and see both local alumni and those who traveled long distances just to see old friends one more time. As we look back, just over the few years for which we have pictures, we see many who are no longer with us. All things have their time, and the Lone Oak Community Breakfast was something we will long remember. Many thanks to all who had a hand in making it happen.

Below are excerpts from the multitude of pictures we took over the years. Click on any image to scroll through memories.