Heaps Of Pancakes Will Be Served At 19th Ward 'Get Behind The Vest' Breakfast

CHICAGO –19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea’s 12th Annual “Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast” will be held on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to noon at St. John Fisher School, 10200 S. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago.

Now a community tradition with thousands in attendance each year, O’Shea’s “Get Behind The Vest Pancake Breakfast” has raised more than $760,000 for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s Get Behind The Vest initiative. CPMF endeavors to purchase new bullet-resistant vests for Chicago police officers.

Admission to the pancake breakfast is $5 per person or $25 for families, which includes all-you-can-eat Original Pancake House – Beverly pancakes and sausage. From the very first year of the Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast, the Harrigan Family, who owns the restaurant in the 19th Ward, has generously donated all batter and sausage for the pancake breakfast.

O’Shea will host several events in the days leading up to the Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast.

Barraco’s Pizzeria and Catering-Mt. Greenwood

New this year, the Get Behind the Vest Night at Barraco’s Pizzeria and Catering, will take place Thursday, Feb. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. and will feature an evening of guest bartenders, including O’Shea, Fr. Dan Brandt, Rep. Mary Gill and Nick Barraco. All tips will benefit the Get Behind the Vest initiative. Barraco’s Pizzeria is in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood at 3047 W. 111th St.

Gas Up

Additionally, from Monday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 20, 5-cents of every gallon sold at the Shell Gas Station, 2632 W. 111th St., will generously be donated to the Get Behind the Vest initiative.

Two businesses in the 19th Ward, Beverly Bank & Trust, and AthleteX, will each match that amount for a total of 15 cents per gallon donated to the cause. O’Shea will be onsite filling gas tanks and washing customer windshields on Friday, Feb. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m.

WGN’s Vest-A-Thon

O’Shea will once again join forces with WGN-AM Radio’s Home Sweet Home Chicago with David Hochberg, to host a “Vest-A-Thon” on Saturday, Feb. 21, to raise additional funds for CPMF. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., listeners to “Home Sweet Home Chicago” will have the opportunity to hear stories from individuals whose lives have been impacted by bullet-resistant vests, including officers from the Chicago Police Department. Various prizes will be awarded to donors. To donate, please visit CPDVest or call 872-262-8378 (VEST) on the day of the broadcast.

“Our police officers leave their homes and families each shift to protect the citizens of Chicago, knowing they may not return,” O’Shea said. “In 2025 alone, three Chicago police officers were shot at or shot in the line of duty. This breakfast gives the community the opportunity to thank a police officer and show them support while helping to provide them with a vest that could one day save their lives.”

On average, bullet-resistant vests need to be replaced every five years. After receiving a complimentary vest when they join the Chicago Police Department, it is the officer’s responsibility to replace their vest at an expense of at least $500. To date, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has invested over $6.4 million, and replaced nearly 15,000 vests for officers, with 1,000 more slated in 2026. Recently, CPMF extended the Get Behind the Vest Program to supply vests to Chicago Police K9 officers.

O’Shea sits on the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Advisory Board and the Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry Board of Directors. He represents the communities of Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood, where thousands of first responders reside.

The Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast is generously sponsored by Saint John Fisher Parish, the Harrigan Family and the Original Pancake House (Beverly), Smith Village, AthleteX, Mariano’s and The Beverly Review.

Visit Ald. Matt O’Shea’s Pancake Breakfast, benefiting the Get Behind the Vest initiative, or to support this great cause at 19thward.com or call 773-238-8766.