Every Wednesday morning, 66-year-old Peggy Winckowski of St. Louis, Missouri gets up before the crack of dawn and starts cracking eggs.
She's got a lot of work to do, preparing a veritable feast of waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and more for 20 to 30 of her grandson's high school classmates. They affectionately call it the Wednesday Breakfast Club.
Peggy's grandson, Sam Crowe, started the tradition back in 2021. Tragically, he was killed in a hit-and-run in July 2022. But despite the fact that he is no longer here, his legacy continues; all thanks to a loving group of teenagers and one very special grandma.
The Wednesday Breakfast Club
Back in 2021, Sam, his cousin Owen, and seven friends would gather at a local diner every Wednesday morning before school. Until one day Sam announced, "You know, my grandma could cook better than this."
And Grandma Peggy's Wednesday Breakfast Club was born.
For over a year, the group of boys would happily descend upon Grandma Peggy's kitchen once a week.
But then, tragedy struck.
In July 2022, Grandma Peggy received a devastating phone call. Sam was gone. “It was horrific,” Winckowski, who has 16 grandchildren, told the Washington Post.
“It was a phone call you never want to get.”
Peggy Winckowski
In an incredible display of solidarity and compassion, Sam's friends showed up on Grandma Peggy's doorstep every day for a week after the accident, just to make sure she was okay.
“We were all grieving with grandma,” said Jeremy Roeder, 17, a junior at Bishop DuBourg High School. “She’s basically family to all of us, and Sam was, too.”
However, they didn't stop there. The teenage boys continued to show up. Every Wednesday morning...
The Breakfast Club Tradition Continues
The Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club looks a little different these days. The original group of 9 boys has blossomed to include upwards of 30 students. Sometimes, Sam’s parents show up, as well as other members of the community.
It's a huge undertaking, especially considering she lives in a "tiny house." Not to mention it seems incredibly daunting to the culinarily challenged among us.
But Grandma Peggy — who is also a full-time caregiver to her husband who has dementia and Parkinson’s disease — wouldn't have it any other way. It's her labor of love.
“Wednesday is my most favorite day of the week,” she says. “I will feed them as long as they will come.”
And chances are high they'll keep right on coming. Because not only have they found a place to feed their stomachs, but they've also found a place to nourish their souls.
"It's really not about the food. It's just about being together," says Sam's cousin, Brendan Crowe.
A Legacy of Love
Grandma Peggy finds solace in believing that this was Sam's plan right from the beginning. That somehow he knew he wouldn't be around. In an interview withFox 2, she shares that Sam was making funeral plans at 14.
"I think that Sam was putting this in place so I wouldn't be lonely."
Peggy Winckowski
And her newly minted "grandbabies" make sure she never feels alone. Not only do they show up on Wednesdays but they also show up for special occasions, game days, and sometimes just to hang out. The next generation? They're alright.
Losing someone we love is one of the most difficult things we have to face in life. Grief is, after all, the price we pay for love. But when we can grieve together, sharing space for the one we lost, that's when we find joy in the darkness.
Grandma Peggy gives so much to these kids, but they give just as much back. What began as a Wednesday Breakfast club with her grandson and his friends has turned into an incredible community.
Knowing we aren't alone in our grief and healing through the loss, together, is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other.
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