Flipping Out

Adorned in aprons and chef hats, amateur pancake flippers will gather this month to compete for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and, of course, this year’s “Golden Griddle” trophy.

On Feb. 20, also known as National Pancake Day, relay teams of four representing area companies must navigate their way through the Third Annual Northeast Ohio Pancake Relays — a brief and winding course on the floor of downtown Cleveland’s Galleria. The whimsical event, sponsored by IHOP, will raise food and funds for Harvest for Hunger.

“It’s like an Olympic event that’s incredibly unsophisticated — unless you’re a pancake flipper,” says Dan Campbell, owner of River Road Restaurants and the Northeast Ohio IHOP franchises.

National Pancake Day is held in conjunction with Fat Tuesday — one final day of gluttonous indulgence before the start of Lent. So that means consuming plenty of pancakes, Campbell says.

In addition to the relay, Northeast Ohio IHOP patrons will receive a free short stack of pancakes when they make a donation to Harvest for Hunger.

Last year, 17 teams from area organizations navigated the course and raised more than $1,800 and 1,000 pounds of food for the annual foods and funds drive that raises resources for food pantries and hot meal programs in Northeast Ohio. This year, Campbell hopes to exceed the $2,000 mark.

To enter, teams must donate a minimum of $50 or 50 nonperishable food items. And as an extra incentive, for every additional $25 raised or 25 food items collected one second is subtracted from the team’s overall relay time.

Teams interested in participating can e-mail jbrazytis@liggett.com or call (216) 373-8374 for more information. Deadline for registration is Feb. 16.

— Beth Stallings