PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — Punxsutawney’s 15th Annual Pizza & Prevention will be held on Saturday, October 1.
The annual event, running from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., is designed to promote disaster prevention and introduce the community to their firefighters.
“The Pizza & Prevention event started as a way to honor the members of the fire department in the year following the 9/11 tragedy,” said Matt Powell, Chief of the Punxsy Fire Department. “It has since grown into a way to introduce the community members to the fire department personnel who serve the community.”
“We’ve been able to purchase things like bunker gear, portable radios, pagers, tablets for firetrucks for mapping, and personnel response data.”
Punxsy Pizza donates 100 percent of the day’s profits to the Punxsutawney Fire Department. Over the last two years, the event raised a total of $86,000.00 for the department and has raised more than $350,000.00 since it began in 2002.
Firefighters will make and deliver pizzas to those who order.
“This event has been amazing to our community,” said Scott Depp, Chief of the Central Fire Department and Second Assistant Chief of the Punxsy Fire Department. “Because of Scott Anthony of Punxsy Pizza, it has been a great fund raiser for the fire department and also raised the awareness of the need for smoke detectors and fire prevention for 15 years.
“Our members look forward to this event every year it brings the fire department members together to help our community when there is not a fire, vehicle accident or other disaster, and it put into perspective one of our many roles to prevent and educate the public about fire safety.”
Depp also lauded Anthony for his work with other fire departments and pizzerias as well as supporting other Punxsy organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Punxsy Community Center, school groups, the community pool and others.
The special of the event is the Chief, an 18-slice pepperoni pizza for $9.11.
Firefighters will check smoke detectors to homes where they deliver pizzas. For homes without smoke detectors, firemen will provide a free one with batteries.
“The event has grown so much since its inception,” Powell said. “It’s actually become a fundraiser that a lot of our members look forward to working because we get such positive feedback from the community. It also gives us a way to get smoke detectors into homes that otherwise may not have them. We also check batteries in existing smoke detectors.”
“It takes everyone in the department (all three fire stations) to man their battle stations. We have guys working in the kitchen, making deliveries, manning the Pizza Trailer, folding boxes, stretching dough, doing coupon sales, taking phone calls and orders, and it runs from morning til night so there really is no down time.”
“Some people actually order a pizza for the sole purpose of having a firefighter check their smoke detectors,” Powell added.
It is co-sponsored by the Punxsutawney Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Kengersky Insurance Agency.
“With their help, we have distributed more than 4,000 smoke detectors to area homes,” Depp said.
Pizzas may also be picked up, and coupon cards will be available for use at a later date.
Those who buy 15 or more coupon cards can have a free dinner with their favorite firefighter.
For more information, go to PizzaAndPrevention.com or call 814-938-8132.
(Pictured below: Matt Powell, Chief of the Punxsy Fire Department)
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