Well, nothing is really “free,” is it? But at least these pancakes at IHOP are for a good cause.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, every guest at IHOP will be eligible for a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. In exchange, customers may make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network. If you make a donation at a Roanoke- or Lynchburg-area IHOP, the money will go to the Children’s Miracle Network programs at Carilion Medical Center for Children and Virginia Baptist Hospital.

On National Pancake Day 2009, IHOP raised $1.5 million for childrens’ charities. The free offer lasts from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.