IHOP Free Pancake Day benefitting WVU Medicine Children’s to be held March 12

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Pancake lovers will “Flip it Forward for Kids” on Tuesday, March 12, when they can combine their love for their favorite breakfast food with a great cause – WVU Medicine Children’s – on IHOP’s 14th annual Free Pancake Day.  

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., guests can receive a free short stack of the brand’s world-famous freshly made buttermilk pancakes at select West Virginia IHOP Restaurants in Barboursville, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charleston, Morgantown (both locations), and South Charleston. Ohio IHOP Restaurants in Athens and Marietta will also support WVU Medicine Children’s.

In return, guests are asked to make a difference by leaving a donation of any size on-check or in-restaurant with all funds going to WVU Medicine Children’s, which received nearly $39,000 from last year’s event.

One of the most anticipated days of the year for breakfast lovers, IHOP Free Pancake Day is the brand’s signature day of giving to children battling life-threatening illnesses and underscores its longstanding commitment to helping families create more moments together. IHOP and its franchisees have a goal of raising $4 million during the campaign to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other children’s health and wellness organizations. This year, they expect to serve a record-breaking five million pancakes in a single day.  

Between now and March 12, guests have several ways to support WVU Medicine Children’s, including: 

• Purchasing a wall icon in increments of $1, $5, $20, or $100 to show support. Guests who purchase a $5 wall icon will receive a $5 coupon good for a future purchase of $10 or more (valid at participating restaurants only).
• Enjoying a meal at any IHOP restaurant and making an in-restaurant cash contribution or on-check donation to WVU Medicine Children’s.

Since launching in 2006, IHOP Free Pancake Day has become a pop-culture phenomenon with millions of guests and communities helping IHOP and its franchisees raise $26.8 million for youth health and wellness organizations. All of the money raised on IHOP Free Pancake Day stays local and directly helps children in need.

For more information on IHOP National Pancake Day and the Flip it Forward For Kids campaign, including restaurant hours, please visit www.ihoppancakeday.com. 

For more information on WVU Medicine Children’s, visit www.wvumedicine.org/childrens. 

WVU Medicine Children’s – currently located on the sixth floor of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, WVU Medicine’s flagship hospital – provides maternal, infant, and pediatric care for West Virginia and the surrounding region, giving care to high-risk mothers, premature infants, and children with life-threatening conditions through adolescence to adulthood. In 2020, WVU Medicine Children’s will move into a new tower and ambulatory care center to be attached to Ruby Memorial. For more information, including ways to support the $60-million capital campaign for Children’s new home, visit wvumedicine.org/childrens.