For every short stack of pancakes served on National Pancake Day, IHOP guests are invited to make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network program at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
Since the inception of National Pancake Day in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly 2 million dollars to support charities. During the 2008 event, IHOP served 1.5 million free pancakes – that’s enough to create a stack more than 12 miles high. Pancake lovers donated more than $875,000 to children’s charities, far exceeding the fundraising goal for that year and making the day IHOP’s largest one-day event in the company’s 50-year history.
Also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day has been celebrated for centuries in England to herald the beginning of fasting during Lent. Long ago, 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. Today, the English and others around the world “flip” for pancakes on this day.