IHOP restaurants are celebrating the 10th anniversary of National Pancake Day on March 3, 2015, once again offering one free short stack of buttermilk pancakes to guests in the hopes that they will pay it forward by making a voluntary donation to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Shriners Hospital for Children, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or other local charities.
Participating IHOP Restaurants plan to give away millions of free pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 to celebrate a Decade of Giving.
More than 1,500 IHOP restaurants across the United States will participate in this beloved annual event which to date has raised $16 million for charity. All of the donations raised stay within the communities and help provide lifesaving treatment and equipment for local sick and injured children.
In 2015, National Pancake Day continues to spread throughout the world: For the second year in a row, IHOP restaurants in Canada and Mexico will participate in the fundraiser joined for the first time by IHOP restaurants in the Philippines. IHOP restaurants in Canada will again support the Children’s Miracle Network and IHOP restaurants in Mexico will raise money for Asociación Mexicana de Ayuda a Niños con Cáncer (AMANC), which provides accommodations and resources to children undergoing treatment for cancer and their families. IHOP restaurants in the Philippines will be raising funds for the Kythe Foundation, which provides children with cancer and chronic illness opportunities to learn, play, and grow while they are in the hospital.
“It’s both incredible and incredibly gratifying that we are now marking a full decade of National Pancake Day, which has become not only a favorite of guests, but of our franchisees and team members,” says Julia Stewart, interim president of IHOP. “Little did we dream, 10 years ago, that thanks to the generosity of our guests, we would be able to raise $16 million dollars, one short stack at a time, and make a substantial difference in the lives of the children in our local communities.”
“It is also thrilling to see National Pancake Day grow into International Pancake Day, and to see how truly global the spirit of giving back to the community is,” Stewart adds. “Now that the tradition has become established in Canada and Mexico, we look forward to welcoming our restaurants in the Philippines to this worldwide effort, and to continuing this international growth for many decades to come.”
In the weeks leading up to National Pancake Day, participating IHOP restaurants will also sell Miracle Balloons for $1 or $5 to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The balloons will be available from February 1 through National Pancake Day, and all proceeds will go to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Guests who purchase a $5 Miracle Balloon will receive a $5 coupon that can be used during their next dining visit. Similar icons are for sale in those restaurants supporting the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well.
