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Pizzerias Across the U.S. Unite for Simultaneous Pizza Deliveries to Shelters and Soup Kitchens on National Pizza Day

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New York, N.Y.

World Pizza Champions, Slice Out Hunger and Slice Team Up to Support the Effort

In honor of National Pizza Day, pizzerias across the country will once again come together on Tuesday, Feb. 9th to feed the hungry through the Pizza Across America campaign.

First developed by World Pizza Champions member Carmine Testa with his sons Michael and Nicky, known nationally as the Jersey Pizza Boys, and the nonprofit Slice Out Hunger, the campaign kicked off in 2018.

“We want to encourage pizzerias to donate and deliver at least ten large pizzas to local food banks, shelters, or care centers of their choice,” said Mike Bausch, Vice President of World Pizza Champions. “Our members are the most award-winning pizzerias in the country and we’re all heavily involved in our communities, so this is our way of leading by example.”

Additionally, Hormel Foods, the makers of Hormel® Pepperoni, Hormel® Rosa Grande Pepperoni, Fontanini® Italian meats and sausages, Burke® fully-cooked pizza toppings and more, has partnered with Slice Out Hunger to support shelters and soup kitchens across the U.S. by sponsoring deliveries from participating Pizza Across America pizzerias.

Pizza Across America co-founder Carmine Testa thinks this program is an important way for pizzerias, who depend on local customers, to give back and support their communities at the local level even at a time when restaurants are hurting. “Sure, small businesses like pizzerias are having a tough year but too many people are suffering more than we are. I like the idea of celebrating National Pizza Day by helping others rather than squandering it by celebrating ourselves,” Testa said.

The process of delivering pizza donations in every state of the U.S. will be managed by Slice, a pizzeria marketing and delivery app, and the pizza-focused nonprofit Slice Out Hunger. When Testa and his sons first hatched the Pizza Across America idea, they brought it to Slice Out Hunger to handle logistics. “I was fired up by Carmine’s idea when we first launched the campaign,” says Slice Out Hunger founder Scott Wiener, “but this year it’s even more critical to fight against our nation’s growing food insecurity problem.”

Pizzerias looking to participate can find more information at sliceouthunger.org.

About World Pizza Champions

Since its inception, the World Pizza Champions™ team has grown into a U.S. based non-profit, multinational group made up of elite pizza professionals. Through international competition, educational outreach, public demonstrations, and community-based service the team is dedicated to promoting pizza making as a respected craft and viable career choice. http://www.worldpizzachampions.com

About Slice Out Hunger

Slice Out Hunger is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that produces pizza-related events and campaigns to support American hunger relief and prevention measures. The organization has raised over $1,000,000 to fund hunger relief efforts in the U.S. since 2009. Events and campaigns include Slice Out Hunger’s $1 Annual Pizza Party to raise funds for hunger relief in NYC, Pizza Across America to assist homeless shelters in the cold winter months, and various emergency campaigns when sudden needs arise.

About Slice

Slice transforms independent pizzerias with the specialized technology, marketing, data insights, and shared services they need, all at a low fixed cost per order, to serve today’s digital-minded customers. Enabling these small businesses to thrive against major corporate chains, Slice makes it easy for customers to order from their go-to shops and discover their next favorite. Serial tech entrepreneur Ilir Sela started Slice to solve the digital challenges of his family’s New York City pizzerias. Today, the company keeps local thriving by partnering with over 14,000 pizzerias across 3,000 cities in all 50 states forming the nation’s largest marketplace for authentic pizza.

About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Columbus®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, , was named on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” list for the 12th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world’s most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://www.hormelfoods.com/global-impact/.