NATIONAL PIZZA PARTY DAY | Aurelio’s Pizza Partners with Advocate to Support Hospitalized Kids
- Glancer Magazine
- May 18, 2021
- 2 min read
AURELIO’S PIZZA DELIVERS TO HOSPITALIZED KIDS ON NATIONAL PIZZA PARTY DAY Friday, May 21: Partnership with Advocate Hospital To Support Kids, Families and Frontline Healthcare Workers As hospitals across the country continue to operate under tightened safety restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Aurelio’s Pizza aims to bring a smile and some comfort food to the kids and their families undergoing treatment at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oaklawn on Chicago’s southwest side. The family pizzeria will donate approximately 500 personal-sized pizzas to the hospital for patients and frontline healthcare workers on National Pizza Party Day (Friday, May 21).
“I know firsthand what it's like to have a child in the hospital and no matter what the treatment is, it’s scary and disorienting and lonely,” said Joe Aurelio’s, CEO of Aurelio’s Pizza. “We’ve had big events on National Pizza Party Day before to bring people together, but this year we wanted to focus on people that can’t be with too many others but who are also so focused on others’ well-being. They’re not alone and if we can bring them a little bit of comfort that’s what we need to do.” Joe Aurelio’s infant son died from a serious heart defect in 1997. Since then Aurelio’s Pizza has directly donated and helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Advocate Hospital. In 2019, Aurelio’s hosted a pop-up pizza party in Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago on National Pizza Party, collecting donations and giving out free pieces of pizza. In 2020, they hosted a star-studded “virtual pizza party” and variety show with guests ranging from Chicago-native actress Jane Lynch to Chicago sports celebrities including Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Roenick, Ozzie Guillen and Ron Kittle. The online fundraiser for frontline healthcare workers also featured performances by Dennis DeYoung of Styx and The Chicago Children’s Choir. Learn more at www.aureliospizza.com.
