“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

– Helen Keller

I mentioned in last month’s column that it is important to give back to the communities that support us. Pizzerias can do that in a lot of unique ways. We frequently get asked for donations by different organizations and groups. Our goal is to help anyone who asks in any way we can. I am sure every pizzeria has been asked to donate gift cards. I personally think a gift basket with a gift certificate in it makes a much better statement, if done correctly. The basket should be a showstopper that sticks out on a table with other baskets. We make an estimated 8-10 baskets per week. It is a good opportunity not just to give back but also to get our name out there in a grassroots way.

One of the most unique ways we have been able to give back is to make our limited-time offer centered around a nonprofit group with a giving component attached to it. For example, we ran a 60-day campaign called Kora’s Strong Pizza. We had reached out to the Make-a-Wish foundation and asked them ways we could help provide wishes to kids in need. Our goal was to be able to provide for two wishes, which cost about $5,000 per wish. We asked if there were any kids who had a culinary wish. They told us that they had a child named Kora who already had received her wish of swimming with dolphins, but she considered herself a foodie and loved pizza. Kora was diagnosed with cystinosis, a rare genetic disease. We had 7-year-old Kora come in and design a pizza for our limited-time offer. We also reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers and asked if they had any players looking for community outreach projects.

The Steelers told us that Larry Ogunjobi, their defensive tackle, was new to the team and was looking for ways to get involved with the community. We had both Larry and Kora come in, and we filmed the whole experience. Kora told us her favorite things to eat, then she and Larry came up with a pizza that ultimately consisted of a garlic butter sauce, spinach, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted chicken, mozzarella and feta cheeses finished with a balsamic drizzle. Quite the palate for a 7-year-old!! We offered the pizza for $24 for a large and gave $10 to Make-A-Wish for every pizza sold.

In getting to know Kora and her family, we discovered that Kora’s mom had written a children’s book inspired by Kora called, “I Am Kora Strong.” Along with selling Kora’s pizza and donating $10 from every one sold, we also bought the books off Amazon and donated those sales back to Make-A-Wish as well. In two months, we exceeded our goal of raising $10,000 and providing two wishes to Make-A-Wish! We also delivered 20 pizzas to Kora’s elementary school, where she felt like a rockstar for the day. She gladly carried some pizzas to the rooms of the other students. This was a widely successful campaign!

In the end, yes, we are just pizza makers – but let’s not forget we can make the world a better place, one slice at a time. Next month, I will tell the story of the campaign that birthed the idea of giving back some of the proceeds.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh. Instagram: @caliente_pizza