Jaquelin Garcia serves a stack of free pancakes to Curt Lindsey and his son Courtney, 9, at the International house of Pancakes (IHOP) in Santa Monica during National Pancake Day on Tuesday March 1, 2011. National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products, hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday. IHOP served 4 million free pancakes on National Pancake Day 2010. All of the free pancakes served on National Pancake Day 2010 would have created a stack more than 31.5 miles high. Since the inception of National Pancake Day in 2006, IHOP has raised more than $5.35 million and given away more than 10.1 million pancakes to support charities in the communities in which it operates. National Pancake Day 2010 was IHOP’s largest one-day event in the company’s 52-year history.

(top) Linda Levee and Dr. Mike Qortrite cook pancakes on the griddle during Santa Monica Lions Club's 54th Annual Pancake Breakfast at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica on Saturday, September 12, 2009.  (center) Lions Club Members Jim Casalor (center) and Ho Nguyen (right) serve eggs and sausage. (above) Cowboy Michael eat pancakes during the Santa Monica Lions Club's annual breakfast. The proceeds from this event support many worthwhile organizations in the community such as: The Santa Monica Boys & Girls Clubs, The Santa Monica YMCA, Santa Monica/Westside YWCA, L.O.V.E. Program Foundation for the Junior Blind and Various Local Charities.

Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 205 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world. Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These projects range from cleaning up local parks to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters. Beginning in 1917, the association of Lions clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give something back to their communities.