The West Coplay Maennerchor, 3326 N. Ruch St., held a breakfast and basket social Feb. 2 to benefit the club. The basket social had numerous attractive baskets that included adult beverage baskets and themed baskets for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and the NFL.

One of the most popular baskets was a Philadelphia Eagles basket. No doubt the Eagles being in the Super Bowl game and Saquon Barkley, formerly of Coplay and a Whitehall High School graduate, stimulated interest in the basket.

Sherrie Haffernan, of Whitehall, sold tickets at the door for the breakfast. Dennis Makovsky and Sheila Panic, both of Whitehall, sold tickets for the basket raffle.

The kitchen and service team was busy preparing and serving the delicious food to patrons. Kassie Rompilla, Blair Hollschwander, Butch Kroboth, Holly Kane and Dennis Schlichting were a delightful team as the backbone of the breakfast.

Maennerchor means “men’s chorus” and is the name given to German social clubs primarily in the northeastern United States, especially Pennsylvania. The West Coplay Maennerchor’s mission is “to give members a wholesome diversion from their daily tasks, by means of music, sports and social activities.”

The club was organized May 5, 1915, by local German and Austrian immigrants. It was a time when the growth of the Coplay Cement Mill, Whitehall and Northampton cement mills and other industries attracted immigrants seeking a new, better life.

In the pre-television days, the club was a sanctuary and social gathering place for male industrial workers who logged long hours.

The club has an 11-decade history of holding wedding receptions, graduation and birthday celebrations, celebrations of life and more in the social hall. About 50 years ago, the club’s social hall held volleyball games for kids and adults.