Washington, D.C., October 11, 2017 – The American Pizza Community (APC) salutes National Pizza Month (#NationalPizzaMonth) by giving back to the communities in which pizza operators, franchisees and corporate brands serve through a variety of charitable efforts. Pizza is a time-honored tradition in communities everywhere and the only thing that can match the passion local pizza store owners and operators have for serving pizza is that of supporting the communities where they call home.
“Our industry is proud of its deeply-connected ties to local communities,” said Tim McIntyre, Chair of the APC. “Many pizza shops are owned by local families who give back to their communities throughout the year from sponsoring local sports and youth clubs to hosting events or other charitable giveaways. We encourage all pizza companies to join the APC in these charitable efforts throughout National Pizza Month."
Of the nearly 73,000 pizza stores in the U.S., 54% are independently owned and operated, according to PMQ 2016 Pizza Power Report.
And whether an independent pizzeria or a franchise brand, the entire industry supports causes close to home, as well as larger charitable efforts such as hunger relief, childhood development and education programs, disaster relief and quickly responding with food and care during times of crisis when those in the community need it most.
Members of the American Pizza Community encourage everyone to celebrate National Pizza Month with friends and family for celebratory occasions or for next your family meal. Share it on Facebook or Twitter with #NationalPizzaMonth. Here are several examples of pizza companies giving back to their communities:
Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s Pizza will be giving back to communities around the country and in Ann Arbor, Michigan on select days in October.
- On Oct. 5, there was a pizza party for patients and families at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- On Oct. 20, Domino’s will sponsor the Humane Society of Huron Valley Compassionate Feast in Ann Arbor with pizzas.
- On Oct. 23, pizzas will be donated to the 14th Annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Thanks and Giving Campaign which launches across the country.
- On Oct. 25, Domino’s corporate and franchise team members will be attending the Future Farmers of American (FFA) National Convention to mark the first year of the company’s five-year $1 million commitment to the FFA and will be offering pizza parties as an incentive for an agriculture advocacy and literacy activity.
- On Oct. 26, Domino’s will sponsor the Freedom House annual Voices of Freedom fundraiser in Detroit.
- On October 27th, there will be a Domino’s pizza party at the Boys and Girls Club of America of Hawaii as part of a partnership with a Hawaii chain center.
- Domino’s has donated funds to the American Red Cross to support the relief efforts for the recent hurricanes, and franchise and corporate stores continue to provide hot pizzas to emergency personnel and those displaced by the hurricanes.
Godfather’s Pizza
As a national sponsor of the Boys Town National Hotline (1-800-448-3000) for more than 13 years, Godfather’s Pizza features the National Hotline number prominently on millions of pizza boxes annually. The National Hotline refers thousands of families and youth to resources to help them through difficult times on a variety of issues – like bullying, poverty, suicidal thoughts, school problems, family issues, etc. Since the partnership began in 2004, Godfather’s Pizza has donated more than $2 million to support Boys Town and the families they serve.
Locally, the company provides gift cards and pizza for the reading rewards program at Wegner Middle School, a Boys Town school for students in grades 4 through 8 and visits from The Godfather. Godfather’s Pizza employees also contribute their time, talents and financial gifts to create care packages for children on campus during the holidays, mentor students, administer the annual Booster Banquet silent auction and share knowledge and a fun time in the pizza industry!
The national headquarters also regularly donates pizza and provides volunteers at the local homeless shelter, the Siena/Francis House. Volunteers also deliver Meals on Wheels twice per month through the program with the Eastern Nebraska Organization on Aging.
Beyond Boys Town
The company and its franchisees don’t limit their philanthropic endeavors with the Boys Town National Hotline®; Godfather’s Pizza works hard to support local causes because giving back to the community is so important. Franchise owners regularly donate pizza to charities, raise funds through sales for individuals and families in need, sponsor or compete in charity events like golf tournaments and cooking competitions and host hundreds of organizational meetings in stores across the nation.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza
Throughout October, Hungry Howie’s Pizza supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the “Love, Hope & Pizza” campaign, whereby all Hungry Howie’s Pizza locations will serve pizza in pink boxes with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) logo. For every pizza sold, Hungry Howie’s donates a portion of the proceeds to the NBCF and will also make a donation for every Love, Hope & Pizza bracelet sold. In-store, fans have the opportunity to purchase a “Slice of Hope” at their local Hungry Howie’s location to let everyone know they’ve joined in the fight against breast cancer. Customers can donate when ordering online. #lovehopepizza
Papa John’s
Papa John’s and its Team Members are focused are focused on making communities a better place for all by supporting organizations throughout the year through pizza donations and fundraising efforts. Charitable organizations include the Salvation Army, The ALS Association, American Heart Association, Metro United Way, WHAS Crusade for Children, FEAT (Families for Effective Autism), V Foundation for Cancer Research and Volunteers of America, American Red Cross, Gilda’s Club and Active Heroes, to name just a few.
One example is Active Heroes, whereby Papa John’s provides pizza parties for active duty military, veterans and their families. Active Heroes is dedicated to connecting and helping America’s military families through physical and mental therapy, community outreach, financial assistance and community reintegration to halt the triggering points and stress associated with hard times that lead to suicide.
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut® kicked off the 33rd year of the BOOK IT!® Program, announcing it will expand from 620,000 classrooms to one million by 2020. Launched in 1984, BOOK IT! encourages kindergarten through sixth grade students to find the joy in reading. To date, the iconic program has reached 1 in 5 Americans. BOOK IT! is a key pillar of Pizza Hut: The Literacy Project – the brand’s global commitment to impact 100 million lives by enabling access to books and educational resources, empowering teachers and inspiring readers. To deliver on this commitment Pizza Hut accepts year-round donations that benefit First Book, a recognized nonprofit, social sector leader that provides new books and educational resources to schools and organizations in the communities Pizza Hut serves. Additionally, Pizza Hut team members support The Literacy Project by volunteering in their local communities to address literacy in ways that matter most. In the first year of the campaign, the company impacted 15.9 million people and distributed more than 275,000 books and educational resources.
Pizza Schmizza
Pizza Schmizza, along with H.E.L.P the Charity (Helping Education with Love and Pizza), has donated 4,000 tablet covers to the Beaverton, Oregon public school district. Each middle school student will receive one tablet cover to protect their school-issued tablet. Education is extremely important to Pizza Schmizza and the company is happy to assist with supplying an educational need for a local community school. H.E.L.P. the Charity is a 501c3 organization, created in 2010, to provide grants to local schools and other entities to support educational programs. Pizza store employees will be providing information and materials about H.E.L.P to customers in October. For further information, follow Pizza Schmizza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.