Eat Pizza To Support a Worthy Cause

 

 

Today we are having lunch at a pizza parlor.  Not just any pizzaparlor, but Papa's Pizza Parlor in Springfield, Oregon.

Why, you might ask, would a person who doesn't even like pizza (that's me) be looking forward to going to Papa's Pizza for lunch?  There are several reasons.

First, Papa's, as this pizza place is affectionately known in our town, is famous for supporting worthy causes. 

If you make arrangements ahead of time, and Papa's feels that your cause is a good one, they will set up a day for you to invite people to dine, knowing that 50% of the sales will be given to that cause. 

Participants are required to download a form from Papa's website that designates the cause you are supporting and must present it at the time of their purchase.  Beverages are usually not included.

The first time we attended such an event, the young man for whom funds were being collected was dying of colon cancer. We did not know him personally, but had read his blogs online over a long period of time and thought helping him cover even a tiny bit of the astronomical medical bills he and his young wife were facing was the least we could do.  We met him at the Pizza parlor and visited for a few minutes. When he died a few months later, we felt as though we had lost a close friend.

The next Papa's benefit we went to was also for a cancer victim.  He was the son-in-law of a friend, and we did not know him well.  Still, we got the feeling that we were joining together with the community to encourage this man who has only been given a short time to live.

Today, we will order pizza to help a young mother who has severe heart problems and is facing even more surgery in the near future. Her hospital bills are piling up and, unable to work, she has no income to cover them. We have never met the young woman, but our daughter knew her in high school. 

If your town has a similar program, why not support it whenever you get a chance.  There is no law that says you even have to know the person for whom the benefit is being held.  After all, we all have to eat, and most of us go out to restaurants several times a month.  Why not plan to have some of those meals "out" at places that sponsor needy causes?

P.S. And I really don't plan to have Pizza.  Our Papa's also serves yummy chicken strips and has a salad bar.