GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, IHOP® Restaurants announced that six-year-old Brody Simoncini of Worcester, Massachusetts has been selected as this year’s IHOP Kid Chef Champion. Part of the IHOP Free Pancake Day campaign, the Kid Chef competition is an annual event that invites kids ages 6-16 treated at a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to dream up their best pancake creation. Brody earned this year’s top honors with his OREO® Oh My Goodness pancake recipe – two hot, fluffy Buttermilk pancakes made with OREO cookie pieces, cupcake icing, and whipped topping.
For the Simoncini family, this pancake recipe holds a special meaning. Born with a rare abdominal wall defect, Brody underwent multiple, lifesaving surgeries over the course of five years, including open heart surgery and an induced coma. For the first few years of his life, he was on a feeding tube and required therapy to learn to eat on his own. OREO cookies were the first solid food that his family chose to give him. Today, he’s a healthy, active first-grader, and the newest IHOP Kid Chef Champion.
Guests can get a taste of Brody’s winning pancake at IHOP Restaurants nationwide from February 25 – April 14, 2019*. Best of all, $1 from the sale of every OREO Oh My Goodness pancake stack or combo benefits the IHOP Free Pancake Day Charity partners**.
“We’re thrilled to announce Brody Simoncini as this year’s IHOP Kid Chef Champion,” said Stephanie Peterson, Head of Communications, IHOP. “Brody created an out-of-this-world recipe with his OREO Oh My Goodness pancakes and we can’t wait for guests to try them. For the first time ever, the winning Kid Chef creation will be featured on a limited-time menu at IHOP restaurants nationwide. Not only are these pancakes delicious, but they also do a lot of good for our charity partners since $1 from the sale of every OREO pancake stack and combo benefits our Free Pancake Day charity partners, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.”
Last month, IHOP announced its 2019 Kid Chef Team and invited three finalists, including Brody, to visit the IHOP Test Kitchen outside of Los Angeles, Calif, and to cook their pancake recipes. The event kicked off the IHOP Free Pancake Day campaign, which takes place on Tuesday, March 12.
“The Kid Chef competition is such a special way to celebrate our long-standing partnership with IHOP and to kick off the brand’s annual Free Pancake Day campaign,” said John Lauck, President & CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Stories like Brody’s are only possible because of the generous support CMN Hospitals receives from companies like IHOP, its franchisees and its guests.”
This year’s IHOP Free Pancake Day: Flip it Forward for Kids event will take place at restaurants nationwide on Tuesday, March 12 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with select locations participating until 10:00 p.m.*** For one day only, guests can get a free short stack of Original Buttermilk pancakes and, in return, help kids fighting to overcome illnesses by donating to its charity partners, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Easily the most anticipated food holiday of the year, IHOP Free Pancake Day has become a pop-culture phenomenon. Guests can participate in the campaign and help IHOP reach its $4 million fundraising goal by:
- Visiting any IHOP restaurant on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 during event hours*** to enjoy a free stack of IHOP’s world-famous Original Buttermilk pancakes and donate to a featured charity.
- Purchasing a wall sticker now through March 12, 2019 to show support. Guests who buy a $5 wall icon will receive a $5 coupon good for a future purchase of $10 or more (valid at participating restaurants only.)****
- Making an in-restaurant cash contribution or on-check donation at any IHOP restaurant between now and March 31, 2019.
- Purchasing Brody’s OREO® Oh My Goodness pancake: a dollar from every OREO® Oh My Goodness pancake sold goes to Children’s Miracle Network, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or Shriners Hospitals for Children.
For more information on IHOP Free Pancake Day and Brody’s winning OREO® Oh My Goodness Pancakes, including participating restaurant hours and charity support, visit www.ihoppancakeday.com.
Contact media@ihop.com to coordinate IHOP or charity spokesperson interviews, request gift card requests for audience giveaways, arrange an in-studio pancake demonstration, or coordinate a remote live-feed from an IHOP location.
* OREO® Oh My Goodness pancakes are available at participating IHOP restaurants nationwide. Price and participation may vary by location. While supplies last.
** One dollar from every OREO Oh My Goodness full stack or pancake combo sold between February 25-April 14, 2019 will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or Shriners Hospitals for Children.
*** Limit one offer per guest. One free short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes on March 12, 2019 from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; participating restaurants and hours may vary. Check with your local IHOP restaurant for details. Dine-in only.
**** Issuance and redemption of coupons at participating restaurants only. Redemption expires Sunday, March 31, 2019 unless otherwise stated. Restrictions apply.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC
For 60 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, any time of day. The chain offers 65 different signature, fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items as well as meals under 600 calories. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of September 30, 2018 there are 1,805 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as well as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Thailand and India. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Glendale, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity's Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit's mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children's hospitals need community support, and learn about your member hospital, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.
ABOUT THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
About Shriners Hospitals for Children®
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a system of 22 health care facilities dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment regardless of the families' ability to pay. For more information visit: www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
OREO is a trademark of Mondelēz International Group.
