IHOP (NYSE: IHP), one of America's favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, announced today that after efforts to lobby 15 state governors to move their Super Tuesday presidential primary elections, the company has reached a compromise and will activate Plan B (for buttermilk).As it stands, Super Tuesday, set for February 5, 2008, encroaches upon the centuries-old celebration of Pancake Day, traditionally held the Tuesday preceding Lent to rid iceboxes of forbidden dairy products. Following a negotiation period between IHOP and state leaders, IHOP has agreed to move its annual celebration this year by one week to February 12, with several Governors offering their support by proclaiming February 12 as National Pancake Day.
IHOP launched its annual National Pancake Day fundraising effort in 2006. In 2007, IHOP joined forces with Children's Miracle Network to give away more than 1.1 million pancakes and raise more than $625,000 for local children's hospitals and other worthy causes. Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration, IHOP has raised approximately one million dollars to support charities in the communities in which it operates.
In honor of National Pancake Day, IHOP will give away a free short stack of its signature buttermilk pancakes to each guest on February 12, 2008. In return, IHOP asks that its guests consider making a donation to support local children's hospitals through the Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit dedicated to improving children's hospitals nationwide, or other local charities. IHOP's goal is to raise $750,000 for Children's Miracle Network and other charities. More than 1,300 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States will once again participate in the free pancake fundraiser from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
"It was a playful means to raise awareness about our important fundraising effort," said IHOP's director of National Pancake Day, Patrick Lenow, about the company's lighthearted quest to move Super Tuesday primaries. "We would never want to disrupt the democratic process, but certainly wanted to gain the support of state leaders for National Pancake Day."
The official web site for IHOP's National Pancake Day also launched today at www.IHOPPancakeDay.com. The site serves as a resource for National Pancake Day with information to find local IHOP restaurants or to make an early donation to Children's Miracle Network. The site also provides information about Children's Miracle Network as well as links to National Pancake Day news, details and most importantly stories about the children that benefit from IHOP's National Pancake Day.
ABOUT CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK
Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals. Each year the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind.
Source: CNN Money - December 19, 2007