On Wednesday, February 1, IHOP restaurants, including that in Warwick, will kick off their annual “Miracle Balloon” campaign to raise funds for Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The five-week campaign runs through March 7, culminating in Free Pancake Day and an additional opportunity for the community to support the area’s leading pediatric hospital.

Beginning on February 1, guests at five local IHOP restaurants can purchase a “Miracle Balloon” for either $1 or $5, with 100 percent of donations going directly to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Guests who purchase a $5 “Miracle Balloon” will receive a $5 discount coupon that may be used during their next visit.

The five-week campaign ends on Tuesday, March 7, with the restaurant chain’s incredibly popular Free Pancake Day charitable initiative. Doubling as National Pancake Day, the family-friendly tradition provides members of the community another way to help raise funds for Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

For every short stack of buttermilk pancakes served at any one of five local IHOP restaurants on March 7 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (until 10 p.m. at select locations), guests will be invited to make a voluntary donation to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The nationwide fundraiser is part of IHOP’s partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, of which Hasbro Children’s Hospital is a proud member.

Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP restaurants nationally have raised more than $24 million for youth health and wellness organizations. Funds received by Hasbro Children’s Hospital support the hospital’s areas of greatest need, enhancing care for more than 130,000 total patient visits annually.