GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
IHOP® unveiled its first 'Kid Culinary Team' as part of
the brand's annual IHOP National Pancake Day®
celebration, which takes place next Tuesday,
February 27 in IHOP restaurants everywhere*. Partnering with
its lead charity, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, IHOP put
out a call to current and former CMN Hospitals patients to dream up
their best pancake creation for the chance to join the inaugural
IHOP Kid Culinary Team and cook their recipe in the brand's Test
Kitchen. After receiving submissions from around the country, three
finalists were selected for their pancake originality and
inspirational stories.
Meet the IHOP Kid Culinary Team:
- Elise Bromund, of
Greensboro, North Carolina, cooked
up Chocolate Cat Pancakes with Raspberry Custard and "Chocolate
Chippies," dedicated to the adorable animals she loves. Elise has
been battling Jacobsen Syndrome her entire life. Due to the rare
chromosome defect, eight-year-old Elise has been hospitalized
numerous times and today, is still being treated for kidney disease
and epilepsy. According to Elise's mom, "she has never met a
stranger she doesn't like; she befriends everyone, and she
demonstrates unusual empathy toward people who are sad or hurting."
A bubbly child that brings joy to everyone she meets, Elise loves
to sing and dance.
- Nine-year-old Starla
Chapman from Mobile,
Alabama combined two food favorites -- cookies and pancakes
-- to come up with an Oatmeal Raisin Pancake as a tribute to the
warm, delicious oatmeal cookies she used to bake with her
grandmother. Starla has faced an uphill climb since birth, having
been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when she was 2-years-old
and subsequently suffering cardiac arrest as a result of the
chemotherapy. Today, thanks to the care at USA Children and Women's Hospital, a
Children's Miracle Network Hospital, Starla is thriving and loves
to entertain on the YouTube channel she shares with her younger
brother.
- From Plano, Texas,
Sim Scott has had a
miraculous journey with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Now
15, Sim underwent multiple surgeries, cancer treatments and
physical setbacks after being diagnosed with a grade II/grade III
astrocytoma brain tumor at age 6. Today, he's a smart, caring young
man on a quest to help others. In addition to having a first degree
black belt in Karate, Sim is currently studying to become a Doctor
of Audiology at the Health Sciences Academy. His pancake creation,
SIMCakes -- or "Super, Incredible, Mouthwatering Candy Cakes" – is
Buttermilk pancakes with milk chocolate toffee chunks (Sim's
favorite candy), topped with whipped cream, sweet caramel sauce,
and more toffee.
"Kids and families are the heart and soul of IHOP, so expanding
our culinary team to include three of our youngest fans seemed like
the perfect way to celebrate IHOP National Pancake Day and kick off
our 60th year as a brand," said Nevielle
Panthaky, Head of Culinary at IHOP. "As a chef, it was
really fun partnering with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and
seeing all the different pancake ideas. We received so many great
submissions, but our IHOP Kid Culinary Team finalists –
Elise Bromund, Starla Chapman and Sim
Scott – took it to the next level with their recipes. While
I was certainly impressed by their creativity, I was even more
inspired by their perseverance and positivity in overcoming such
serious illnesses."
"I'm amazed by all the miracle kids who submitted their personal
stories and pancake recipes to the very first IHOP Kid Culinary
Team Pancake contest," said John
Lauck, president and CEO of Children's Miracle Network
Hospitals. "I want to congratulate the three finalists – Elise,
Starla and Sim – who represent what Children's Miracle Network
Hospitals stands for and will be fantastic IHOP National Pancake
Day ambassadors in 2018. Partnerships like the one we have with
IHOP and its franchisees are critical in securing the funding
needed to treat the more than 10 million pediatric patients that
visit our hospitals every year."
The IHOP Kid Culinary Team announcement comes just days before
the 13th annual IHOP National Pancake Day event on
Tuesday, February 27, 2018, which is
the centerpiece of the all-day breakfast leader's 60 Days of Giving
campaign. On IHOP National Pancake Day, guests can receive a free
short stack* of the brand's Original Buttermilk Pancakes at IHOP
restaurants nationwide from 7:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. – with select locations participating until
10:00 p.m.
In return, guests are asked to help make a difference by leaving
a donation of any size in-restaurant or on-check, with all funds
collected staying in the community where they were raised. IHOP
National Pancake Day and all related activities throughout the 60
Days of Giving campaign – a nod to the brand's 60th
anniversary -- directly benefit charities dedicated to finding
cures and eradicating life-threatening diseases that affect
children and families, including Children's Miracle Network
Hospitals, as well as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and
Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Contact media@ihop.com for a behind-the-scenes video of the
IHOP Kid Culinary Team cooking in the brand's Test Kitchen and
learn more about each finalist. Media members can also contact IHOP
to arrange interviews, in-studio pancake demonstrations, coordinate
a remote live-feed from an IHOP on February
27 or request gift cards for audience use. On Monday, February 26, 2018, one event finalist
will be named the first IHOP Kid Head Chef.
For more information on IHOP National Pancake Day, including
restaurant hours and charity support by restaurant, please visit
www.ihoppancakeday.com.
* Limit one offer per guest. One free short stack of
Buttermilk Pancakes on February 27,
2018 from 7 am – 7 pm: participating restaurants and hours may
vary. Check with your local IHOP restaurant for
details. Dine-in only.
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. IHOP restaurants offer guests an
affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly
service. Today, there are more than 1,750 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, India and The
Philippines. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates
of Glendale, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE:DIN)
ABOUT DINE BRANDS GLOBAL, INC.
Based in Glendale, California,
Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries,
franchises restaurants under both the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill
& Bar and IHOP brands. With more than 3,700 restaurants
combined in 18 countries and over 380 franchisees, Dine Brands is
one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world.
For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website
located at www.dinebrands.com.
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,
identify your member hospital and learn how you can Put Your Money
Where the Miracles Are,
at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals .
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