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12 Days of Pizza

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

The 12 Days of Pizza Project [1] is a grassroots effort to help support families of elementary school-age children which originated in South Dakota. The program provides coupons for free pizzas (and chicken dinners) to elementary school families in need during the 12 days of the Christmas holiday break.

The project is the brainchild of Hollywood film producer Sean Covel. Covel grew up in the Black Hills and has a residence in Deadwood, South Dakota.

In 2015, the first year of operation, the 12 Days of Pizza supported 12 families in Rapid City, providing 144 meals during the Christmas break. The following year, the project provided 576 meals to 48 families in Rapid City, Sturgis, Spearfish, and Deadwood, all in South Dakota. Christmas break of 2017 saw the project provide 12,648 meals for 1054 families across the Midwest. [2]g

What started out, in 2015, as a project to cut child hunger for 12 families in the Black Hills over the 12 days of Christmas break has grown exponentially. The 12 Days of Pizza Project has gone from providing 144 meals to 12 families that first year, to 12,648 meals for 1054 families in just three years with only local business support. The goal the third year of the project, 2017, was to provide 100 families with 1,200 meals. However, it surpassed its goal by 1054%.

History[edit]

The 12 Days of Pizza Project was initially started in 2015 by Sean Covel, Hollywood film producer, with the help and support of local businesses, Steve Cronin and Terry Larson of Pizza Ranch, Jack Lynass and Shawn Kerns of Black Hills Community Bank, and Meg Warder, owner of the 1880’s Train at Black Hills Central Railroad.

A few days before Christmas, Covel had lunch with an elementary school teacher who taught second grade at Robbinsdale Elementary School in Rapid City. He asked if her students are excited about Christmas break, anticipating an affirmative reply. She reported that half are enrolled in daily food programs that are temporarily discontinued during the holiday, causing these children to be more concerned about their next meal than excited for Christmas.[3]

This drove Covel to seek out local business support, and within a few hours, the program was set up. A call to Meg Warder, who owns the 1880's Train, led to a conversation with Jack Lynass and Shawn Kerns at Black Hills Community Bank for sponsorship. Steve Cronin and Terry Larson, owners of the Rapid City, SD Pizza Ranch locations immediately agreed to participate and within 24 hours, the 12 Days of Pizza was ready to provide food for needy families.[4]

The program was named after the movie The 12 Dogs of Christmas, produced by Sean Covel, Executive Produced by Ken Kragen and directed by Academy Award Winner, Keith Merrill. Every family participating in the program receives a package containing a copy of the film and one dozen coupons for a pizza with their choice of toppings (or 8-piece chicken dinner), which helps to give the program a party tone rather than one of charity. Pizza Ranch made gift certificates to present to the students. Recipient families are selected by school teachers, principals, and guidance counselors with the only requirement being that the family must have at least one elementary school-aged child.

As the 12 Days of Pizza Project expanded to multiple cities across the region, the execution of the program has remained a grassroots initiative. Local Pizza Ranch owners team with local business owners to provide support to local schools throughout the Christmas season.[5][6]

Background[edit]

South Dakota's free and reduced lunch program schools provide a backpack program which bolsters the children through the weekend. The backpack program provides children in need a backpack of foods to take home, so they have a guaranteed meal at home. Summer feeding programs support them all summer long.

Eligibility[edit]

Rapid City School District's student profile information is indicated in the table below:

Student Characteristic Percentage/Data
American Indian or Alaskan Native 20 %
Asian <1 %
Black 1 %
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander <1 %
White 72 %
Two or More Races 5 %
Special Education 13 %
Gifted Education 2 %
English Language Learners (ELL) <1 %
Poverty (Free and Reduced Lunch) 44 %
Identified Homeless 5 %
Migrant 0 %

[7] eligibility – income chart

References[edit]

  1. "12 Days of Pizza – Helping to End Holiday Hunger thru the Power of Pizza". www.the12daysofpizza.com.
  2. "Gallery – 12 Days of Pizza". www.the12daysofpizza.com.
  3. staff, Stephanie Casanova Journal. "Local businesses feed families in need with 12 Days of Pizza program". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  4. Perez, Taylar. "12 Days of Pizza helps 48 families this year". Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  5. Pioneer, Jaci Conrad Pearson Black Hills. "12 Days of Pizza takes a bite out of hunger". Black Hills Pioneer. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  6. correspondent, MOLLY BARARI Journal. "Our Good Deeds: 12 Days of Pizza program takes slice out of student hunger". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  7. http://doe.sd.gov/cans/documents/17IncomeE.pdf
Photo of a hand holding sample certificates of the program that are given to needy families. 12 Days of Pizza


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