Winston Salem IHOP reopens with free food, event to benefit military families

WINSTON SALEM, N.C. – IHOP’s newly remodeled restaurant location at 1295 Silas Creek Parkway is scheduled to reopen Tuesday with free food for kids, and will start their annual fundraising campaign to benefit the Armed Forces Families Foundation.

The IHOP location will officially reopen on Halloween day and is offering a free Scary Face Pancake to kids 12 and under from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

On Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the IHOP location will host a special event to benefit the Armed Forces Families Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign.

The event will help promote AFFF’s fundraiser, which benefits military members and their families, and will include:

• Free Samples of IHOP’s new Latte Lover’s Pancakes
• A booth from the USO of North Carolina, where representatives will share information about their recent partnership with AFFF and details about upcoming community projects.

“We’re excited to officially reopen Silas Creek’s IHOP restaurant location and to kick off our support for the Armed Forces Families Foundation’s annual fundraiser. We hope that guests come out to check out the upgrades to the restaurant, enjoy a delicious meal and help us support the amazing projects AFFF provides to our military members and their families,” said Bill Enderlein, IHOP area director and AFFF supporter.

A total of 53 IHOP restaurant locations across the Southeast U.S. are planning to participate in this year’s annual fundraising drive, which will last through Nov. 21.

The Armed Forces Families Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping military families. AFFF is unique in that it provides 100 percent of the funds raised to the development of permanent or semi-permanent infrastructure projects to help military families. With no overhead, AFFF is entirely comprised of volunteers giving donors the confidence that all of their contribution will be used to support projects, which help military families.

Diners at participating IHOP locations wishing to support military families may do so by purchasing a paper icon for $1 or more. Donors will receive a coupon for a free stack of three buttermilk pancakes, good for the donor’s next visit and are available while supplies last.

AFFF is unique in that it provides 100 percent of the funds raised to the development of permanent or semi-permanent infrastructure projects to help military families. With no overhead, AFFF is entirely comprised of volunteers giving donors the confidence that all of their contribution will be used to support projects, which help military families.

Recent AFFF projects include:

• $26,282 for the purchase of supplies and additional renovation costs for a new USO at Naval Air Station Corry
• $35,933.84 in funding for the creation of a new USO center and family care facility at Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown
• $31,978 for the construction of an event pavilion at the Asheville, N.C. VA hospital
• $14,994 purchase of 25 new HP ProBook computers and needed materials for Fort Gordon’s Freedom Park School in Georgia
• $26,282 to upgrade entertainment systems within the USO Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida
• $46,000 to install a new playground, accessible to over 300 families stationed on MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa, Florida

About Armed Forces Families Foundation:

The Armed Forces Families Foundation, together with participating Taco Bell and IHOP restaurants, are proud supporters of America’s Armed Forces and their families. The Armed Forces Families Foundation with its Taco Bell and IHOP partners have raised over $2 million. 100 percent of every dollar raised goes toward projects to help those who protect our Freedom. For more information, please visit http://www.armedforcesfamilies.org/

About International House of Pancakes

For nearly 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. Today, there are more than 1,700 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, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and The Philippines. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN) and its affiliates.

-30-