National Pancake Day has arrived and if one can judge success by a website, the fact that IHOP's site ihoppancakeday.com was down for hours is a testament to the delicious success of the promotion.

National Pancake Day is a day when several parties win. Customers who visit particpating IHOP locations before 7 tonight will get a free short stack containing three pancakes. Charities such as the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals are present at the restaurants in one way or another, thus their coffers are typically overflowing from the generosity of pancake patrons. Since 2006 IHOP has helped raise over $5.2 million for charities on Pancake Day, and this year the restaurant chain hopes to raise an additional $2.3 million -- so it looks good too.

In countries like Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Britain, pancakes were prepared before Ash Wednesday so households could use up ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs that were avoided during Lent. Several called the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday "Shrove Tuesday"; the Brits simply called it "Pancake Day."

"The company will host its free pancake event one week earlier on Tuesday, March 1 to build buzz and excitement prior to Shrove Tuesday," IHOP wrote on its site.

-- Tony Pierce
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Photo: This undated photo provided by IHOP Restaurants shows its Pancake Stackers. IHOP's Pancake Stackers consists of cheesecake filling surrounded by two buttermilk pancakes and topped with a strawberry, blueberry or cinnamon apple compote and whipped topping. Credit: Associated Press/IHOP Restaurants