IHOP celebrates National Pancake Day

By Brandon Klein | March 4, 2015 at 12:02a.m.

IHOP restaurants raise funds for children’s miracle network

BOARDMAN

Customers hopped over for free pancakes and charity Tuesday at local IHOP restaurants.

The Glendale, Calif.-based restaurant offered a free short stack of three buttermilk pancakes at locations in Boardman, 833 Boardman-Poland Road, or Howland, 1980 Niles-Cortland Road SE. Donations for Akron Children’s Hospital were requested from customers who took advantage of the deal.

“The pancakes don’t matter,” said Pete Kerby, general manager of the Boardman IHOP. “It’s all about the donations for the kids.”

Nationwide, more than 1,500 IHOP locations participated in the 10th annual National Pancake Day celebration providing free pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday with donations going to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Since its inception, IHOP has raised almost $16 million to support charities in communities nationwide. The goal this year is to raise $3.5 million. Locally, the money would go directly to the Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, 6505 Market St., Boardman.

“All dollars raised stay in our local community to benefit programs and services that help children in the Mahoning Valley such as charity care, unreimbursed programs and services, kid-sized equipment and more,” said JoAnn Stock, director of development for Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.

Before the event, both IHOP locations already had raised more than $5,000 in donations through a “Miracle Balloons” campaign, which started Feb. 1. Customers could buy a paper balloon for $1 or $5, which were posted throughout the restaurant with the donors’ names on them.

Kerby said the Boardman IHOP went through 900 short stacks, or 2,700 pancakes, last year, and aimed to give away 1,200 short stacks, or 3,600 pancakes Tuesday. Both locations expect to raise $1,000 each.

“We haven’t stopped since 6:30 a.m.,” Kerby said.

Rich Cecil, general manager of the Howland IHOP, said it served more than 630 short stacks, or 1,890 pancakes, last year. This year he expects to serve about 700 to 800 short stacks.

“We’ve been completely filled for most of the day,” he said.

Lisa Ross of Youngstown’s South Side and her two granddaughters, Na’kiah Thomas, 5, and Rayonna Thomas, 4, enjoyed their free pancakes at the Boardman IHOP. She said the event was a good idea to raise money for Akron Children’s Hospital, where her children have gone for medical care over the past 20 years.

“It’s a good hospital overall,” Ross said.

“The kids like the pancakes, too,” she added.