IHOP and Miss America Raise Over $625,000 for Charity in Second National Pancake Day Celebration
For its second National Pancake Day Celebration on February 20, 2007, IHOP invited guests to enjoy a free short stack of its signature buttermilk pancakes and, in return, collected donations for Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals throughout the United States, and other local charities. The newly crowned Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson, served as the event's national spokesperson.
"National Pancake Day 2007 was the beginning of an exciting and worthwhile partnership between IHOP and Children's Miracle Network," said Jim Hall, Chief Executive Officer and President of Children's Miracle Network. "Thanks to the generosity and hard work of the IHOP franchisees, employees, and guests, thousands of children across the country will receive valuable access to healthcare services, research and education."
"Our restaurants are always proud to demonstrate their commitment to the communities that support them year round, and we thank our guests for their tremendous support of Children's Miracle Network hospitals and other worthy causes on National Pancake Day," said Carolyn O'Keefe, Chief Marketing Officer of IHOP. "We surpassed our fundraising goals, and are thrilled that 100 percent of the donations given to Children's Miracle Network hospitals will remain in the local communities in which they were donated."
Pancake Day has been celebrated for centuries in England on the day before Lent, with a tradition and lore all its own. Tradition prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk and butter, hence the name Pancake Day. Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, the IHOP system has raised nearly one million dollars to support charities in the communities in which IHOP operates.
ABOUT IHOP CORP.
The IHOP family restaurant chain has been serving a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections for more than 45 years. Offering 14 types of pancakes as well as omelettes, breakfast specialties, burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken and steaks, IHOP's diverse menu appeals to people of all ages. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, California-based IHOP Corp. As of December 31, 2006, the end of IHOP's fourth quarter, there were 1,302 IHOP restaurants in 49 states and Canada. IHOP Corp. common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol "IHP." For more information, call the Company's Restaurant Support Center at (818) 240-6055 or visit the Company's Web site located at www.ihop.com.
ABOUT CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK
Children's Miracle Network -- the alliance of premier hospitals for children -- is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America. 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. To learn more go to www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.
ABOUT THE MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION
The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.
Jennifer Pendergrass IHOP Corp. 818-637-3603 James Doyle/Tracy Garcia IHOP News Bureau 866-202-6688
SOURCE: IHOP Corp.