Newly Crowned Miss America Flips for Charity
To Serve Free Flapjacks on National Pancake Day

Millions of free pancakes will be served at one of America’s favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner on National Pancake Day, also known as Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday. IHOP hopes to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children’s hospitals, and other worthy causes.

For the third year, more than 1,300 IHOP restaurants across the country will serve a free short stack of IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancakes from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Tuesday, February 12th. In return, guests are asked to donate what they would have spent on the free pancakes, or more, to their local children’s hospital or another worthy cause.

Last year, more than 1.1 million stacks of pancakes were given away and more than $625,000 was raised, and in 2008 IHOP hopes to raise $750,000 for charity!

Pancake Day has been celebrated for centuries as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, which as the country knows fell last week on Feb. 5. Last Tuesday was also a significant day for America as the majority of states held their presidential primary elections and caucuses, known as Super Tuesday. Out of respect for the democratic process, IHOP moved its celebration one week to this Tuesday, Feb. 12.

For more information, go to: www.ihoppancakeday.com.

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Miss Michigan is Miss America 2008

Haglund, an aspiring Broadway actress, sang Over the Rainbow to clinch the title. She beat Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash, the first runner up, and Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto, the second runner up for the $50,000 scholarship and year of travel that comes with the crown.

Haglund, who is majoring in music at the University of Cincinnati, grew up in a pageant family. Her mother is an active volunteer, and her grandmother, Iora Hunt, competed for the crown as Miss Michigan 1944. Hunt was in the audience Saturday.

Haglund wore a revealing silver sequined dress and black bikini during the evening gown and swimsuit portions of the pageant.