IHOP holding pancake fundraiser on Feb. 24
IHOP restaurants will be celebrating National Pancake Day on Feb. 24, 2009, with a fundraiser for local children’s hospitals and charities.
From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the 24th (which is Mardi Gras, by the way), IHOPs across the country will be offering guests a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. In return, guests are asked to donate what they would have paid for the pancakes, or more.
This will be the fourth year IHOP has celebrated the event, which has raised nearly $2 million so far. Last year’s Pancake Day brought in more than $875,000, and this year they hope to reach the $1 million mark. Money raised goes to the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children’s hospitals, and other causes.
Locally, IHOP is at 1347 Kinneman Drive in Bourbonnais. To get there from Illinois Route 50, go east on Armour Road. Turn left at the second stoplight — which is Christine, not Kinneman — and the restaurant is on your left.
Here’s more from their press release:
GLENDALE, Calif., December 18, 2008 – IHOP, one of America’s favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, has announced plans to serve millions of free pancakes in celebration of National Pancake Day on February 24, 2009. The celebration is designed to bring together friends and family, as well as to raise $1 million for Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children’s hospitals, and other worthy causes.
2009 will mark IHOP’s fourth year of celebrating the national event, and nearly 1,400 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States will once again invite guests to enjoy a free short stack of IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In return, IHOP guests are asked to donate what they would have paid for the free pancakes, or more, to their local children’s hospital or another worthy cause. Additionally, Miracle Balloons will be sold for $1 each, personalized and displayed at participating IHOP restaurants from February 1 through February 24, 2009, offering guests another way to show their support of Children’s Miracle Network and contribute to the National Pancake Day fundraising effort.
“IHOP is thrilled to bring families and communities together in support of the efforts of Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities on National Pancake Day,” said Des Hague, IHOP’s president. “We want to thank our guests who helped us raise $875,000 to support Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities last year, and we ask them to join us again to surpass our fundraising goal for 2009.”
Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products… hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday.
Since the inception of National Pancake Day in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $2 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates. In 2008, IHOP gave away more than 1.5 million pancakes and raised over $875,000 in support of Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities, far exceeding its goal to raise $750,000.
For more information about IHOP’s National Pancake Day, or to learn more about Children’s Miracle Network and make an online donation, visit www.ihoppancakeday.com.
