With Over 250 Pizzerias On Board, Long Island Pizza Strong is Raising Funds For NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s Family & Three Charities That Back the Blue
UPDATE2: There are now 253 pizzerias onboard for the fundraiser!
UPDATE: There are now 225 pizzerias onboard for the fundraiser!
Long Island Pizza Strong is bringing the power of the food service community together to raise funds for the family of slain NYPD police officer and Massapequa resident Jonathan Diller. In addition to the Diller family, Long Island Pizza Strong will donate money raised equally among three other charities that Back the Blue, including The Silver Shield Foundation, Beyond the Badge NY and Project Thank a Cop.
On Wednesday, April 17th, five dollars from every pizza pie sold that day at participating restaurants will go toward the Diller family and the three charities.
One of the co-founders of LI Pizza Strong, Alyssa Guidice, said that organizers were immediately moved to find a way to help Diller’s young family.
“A few pizzerias reached out to us and after talking about it we decided to start it up again,” she said.
Guidice, who runs the popular Dine LI Facebook group, along with Anthony Laurino from Phil’s Pizzeria in Syosset and Jim Serpico from Side Hustle Bread, all founded Long Island Pizza Strong last fall in response to another tragedy that struck Long Island when a bus carrying the Farmingdale High School Band crashed, raising over $100,000 for the victims, their families, and to support the community’s healing process.
For their Back the Blues campaign, Long Island Pizza Strong has enlisted 253 pizzerias in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
To find pizzerias in Nassau, click here. For Suffolk, click here. If you are a pizzeria and want to sign up to join the fundraiser, click here.
Laurino said that the money will go to causes that support the police and their families. For example, The Silver Shield Foundation, co-founded in 1983 by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and his friend, Olympic bronze medalist James Fuchs, provides educational support for the children and surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.
Beyond the Badge NY’s mission is to reduce the number of first responder suicides and break the stigma surrounding first responders coming forward for mental health treatment. Project Thank A Cop supports officers with a number of social programs and has a scholarship fund to aid families of fallen officers.
For Laurino, it was a no-brainer to help.
“Why not come together and participate?” he said. “It’s such a good cause.”
The organizers hope to make a strong showing on April 17th to back the Diller family and the charities
“I hope we double what we did for the other one,” Laurino said.
Click here for more information about the Long Island Pizza Strong Back the Blues campaign. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
