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July 2009 |
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Firefighters, Fox’s celebrate another successful Pizza & Prevention effort |
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Written by Julie Ciaramella
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Wednesday, 12 November 2008 |
Celebrating another successful Pizza & Prevention effort Tuesday were (from left) Brittney Waltman, who worked on Pizza & Prevention for her senior project; Matt Kengersky and Ed Kengersky, co-sponsors; Jeff Winfield, Elk Run Volunteer Fire Company; Scott Anthony, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den; Pete Smith, Central Fire Department; and Bill Williams, Lindsey Fire Company. (Photo submitted)
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Fox’s Pizza Den held its Pizza & Prevention Luncheon Tuesday, celebrating the $22,208.50 it raised for the Central, Elk Run and Lindsey fire companies during its Pizza & Prevention event Oct. 11.
“We’re pretty overwhelmed with the tremendous success,” Fox’s owner Scott Anthony said. “We never anticipated it getting this big. We’re really pleased with the outcome and how the community stepped up and supported it, and so many businesses have also joined in to help out.”
Pizza & Prevention started in 2002, on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terroristic attacks.
Anthony said that experience motivated him to start Pizza & Prevention. It began Sept. 11, 2002, as “Remember your Volunteer Firemen” and became Pizza & Prevention in the first week of October, he said.
“I think for all of us, that Sept. 11 and the experiences of that day made us value and appreciate fire companies, especially volunteer fire companies,” he said. “Those people are willing to step up to the plate and risk their lives.”
During the Pizza & Prevention event Oct. 11, Fox’s sold its Big Daddy pizza for $9.11. One-hundred percent of the money from the sale of each pizza was donated to the fire company.
Fox’s sold 2,350 pizzas and made $500 in tips. Money was also raised through coupons and donations from businesses.
“We always try to top the year before, but this year, we were 30 percent above the year before,” Anthony said.
He said any amount of money makes a difference to the fire companies.
“We have volunteer fire companies, so these guys are really giving it their all to take care of us, and they have to do their own fund-raising activities,” Anthony said. “So to raise any amount of money to make a difference and buy this much-needed equipment is very important. The equipment to protect firefighters when they do their job is very expensive so we do all we can to support them.”
The average cost to suit up a new fireman is about $2,000, Anthony said, “so with the money that we’ve raised this year — $22,208.50 — we’re able to equip 11 fireman.”
Brittany Waltman, a senior at Punxsutawney Area High School, helped with Pizza & Prevention for her senior project.
“I arranged cross-promotions for the businesses to see if they would make coupons, offer discounts, or make donations,” Waltman said. She was able to raise about $300.
Waltman also helped on the day of the event and said, “I enjoyed helping out and getting to know the firemen.”
Anthony said he enjoys seeing the community come together to help make Pizza & Prevention a success.
“The most important aspect of it is how the community comes together to support it, and businesses have stepped up to help,” he said. “We all work together.”
But he said what amazes him the most about Pizza & Prevention, is that the firefighters are helping him in the kitchen.
“What always amazes me is that the firemen are out there volunteering, but yet they’re here slaving away with the rest of us that day, just to help us out,” he said. “They helped us to prepare the pizzas, make the orders, man the phones and deliver the orders. That community spirit, that sense of volunteering, is just tremendous.”
Frank Wittenburg, who has been a volunteer firefighter since 1996 and has been a member at Elk Run for the past four years, described Pizza & Prevention as “phenomenal.”
“Without Pizza & Prevention there would be no way that we would be able to purchase the equipment that we need,” he said.
Elk Run has been able to purchase air masks, portable radios, hoses and flashlights.
“It’s really great. It makes us all feel good to know that the community appreciates what we do and supports us,” Wittenburg said. “It means a tremendous amount to all of the firefighters to have the community behind us.”
He said it is a good feeling to come together with other firefighters.
“With three different stations, sometimes, there are some rivalries, but knowing we can come together and make it work is a really good feeling,” Wittenburg said. “I’d like to thank all of my fellow brother and sister firefighters, and all of the fire companies in the area that come in and help us out.”
Ed Kengersky, of Nationwide Insurance-The Kengersky Insurance Agency, along with his son, Matt Kengersky, have supported Pizza & Prevention from the beginning, providing smoke detectors that are given to people who purchase pizza.
“We were able to donate between 2,000 and 3,000 smoke detectors for the past five or six years of the campaign,” Ed Kengersky said. “My son and I think that if we can save one life through the use of smoke detectors then we feel that it’s worth it.”
Scott Depp, chief of Central Fire Department, was unable to attend the luncheon because of his new job, but he provided a statement in which he thanked Anthony, the co-sponsors and the community.
“Fund-raising is a hardship for all fire departments,” he wrote. “It seems sometimes we spend more time raising money for needed equipment than we do fighting fires.
“When businesses and a community come together in this special way for us, I am not sure there is a word for it other than ‘wow,’” Depp wrote.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 November 2008 )
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Rock Run ATV Park in Patton, PA. offers 3 levels of trails for all types of riders. Primative camping is available. Christine Bock - Anita Camping at Milton Loop Campground is fun for the whole family. Just
on the other side of Dayton. They have the very the clean showers and restroom, too.
Tell Debbie and Bill we sent you. - Doug and Mary Lynn Lemmon Visiting the Double Diamond Deer Ranch in Cook Forest. Kids can
see big deer up close & even pet them. They have an evening treat time at 6 pm where
we were able to feed the big bucks some apples. The mini golf glows in the dark. It
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Tetnis shots are recommended. - John Haag
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