A table near the windows at Kerbey Lane Cafe in Mueller was piled high with crimson-tinted short stacks this week, a sweet kickoff for a neighborhood partnership with serious purpose. The beloved Central Texas diner has designated Marathon Kids as its fourth-quarter 2025 beneficiary, pledging a portion of proceeds from its special pancakes to the Austin-born youth running nonprofit. October’s flavor is a crowd-pleasing Red Velvet, and the promotion continues through December 31, 2025.

A neighborhood push for movement

The announcement and pancake tasting took place at the Mueller location, a fitting stage for two local institutions working to get more kids moving. Marathon Kids is marking 30 years of helping children build healthy habits through running and physical activity. In 2024 alone, the program reached more than 431,000 participants across the country and about 36,000 in Central Texas who together logged nearly 600,000 miles.

Those numbers track with a region whose population and needs are growing. The Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metro area climbed to more than 2.55 million residents as of mid-2024, making it the nation’s 25th-largest metro, according to Community Impact. Inside the city limits, Austin’s population hovers near 1 million with a median age around 34.5 and a diverse makeup that includes large White (non-Hispanic) and Hispanic communities, data from Texas Demographics shows. A young, family-rich city is exactly where accessible, school- and community-based fitness programs can make a difference.

The stakes are clear. Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents live with obesity, with higher rates among some racial and ethnic groups and in lower-income households, according to the CDC. Trends are moving in the wrong direction for the youngest kids, too: national surveys summarized by NIDDK show obesity has risen among children ages 2–5 compared with earlier years. A peer-reviewed analysis in JAMA Network found youth obesity increased by about 0.44 percentage points per year through 2023, reaching roughly 21% nationally. Globally, the shift is stark: overweight now exceeds underweight in children ages 5–19 for the first time, with about 1 in 10 living with obesity, UNICEF USA reports.

Against that backdrop, making a healthier choice as simple as ordering pancakes gives families an easy on-ramp. Kerbey Lane says its fourth quarter is traditionally its busiest, and channeling that rush toward youth fitness could translate to thousands of additional miles logged by local kids next season.

Where the donation fits

Kerbey Lane’s role in Austin is as familiar as its queso. The cafe began in 1980 in a Central Austin bungalow and today operates 10 locations across Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio, according to Wikipedia. Its public-spirited streak is just as established. Earlier this year, the chain joined other local restaurants to donate 100% of profits from its 10 locations on a designated day for Hill Country flood relief, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

The Marathon Kids partnership slots naturally into that track record. Here’s how customers can be part of it:

  • October’s special pancake is Red Velvet; subsequent flavors arrive in November and December.
  • A portion of proceeds from the special pancake benefits Marathon Kids.
  • The promotion runs through December 31, 2025, across Kerbey Lane Cafe locations.
  • Marathon Kids, a 30-year-old program, promotes running and physical activity for children; in 2024, it served over 431,000 participants nationally, including about 36,000 in Central Texas who together logged nearly 600,000 miles.
  • Kerbey Lane began in 1980 and today operates 10 locations in Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio.

In a growing metro and a youthful city, small gestures add up. For Marathon Kids, donations help schools and community programs create low-barrier opportunities for students to accumulate miles, celebrate milestones, and cultivate a love of movement. For families, it’s one more reason to steer weekend brunch toward a neighborhood staple.

Why Mueller’s moment matters

Mueller is a neighborhood built around parks, trails, and street-level gathering spots—an environment that mirrors Marathon Kids’ philosophy of meeting kids where they are. When a local institution with Kerbey Lane’s reach backs that ethos, the impact ripples: more programming dollars for coaches and coordinators, more mileage incentives for students, and a higher profile for youth movement at a time when American kids are less active and face rising health risks, as underscored by the CDC and JAMA Network.

The bet is simple and neighborly: pancakes today, healthier habits tomorrow. As fall flavors turn to winter and the Kerbey Kindness effort runs through the end of the year, Mueller has a front-row seat to a partnership that tastes like Austin—local, collaborative, and focused on kids lacing up for the long run.

Read the full story on keyetv.com

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