Hundreds of Long Island pizzerias team up to support family of fallen NYPD officer
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — Buy a pizza and help the family of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in the line of duty last month in Queens.
More than 250 pizzerias in Nassau and Suffolk Counties will participate in Wednesday’s daylong fundraiser organized by LI Pizza Strong.
$5 from every pizza purchased on Wednesday will go to the slain officer’s family and Beyond the Badge NY, Project Thank-A-Cop and the Silver Shield Foundation.
The organization was founded last year by Anthony Laurino, the owner of Phil’s Pizzeria in Syosset; Jim Serpico, the owner of Side Hustle Bread; and Alyssa Guidice, who runs the restaurant marketing Dine LI, a restaurant marketing group.
The group held a similar fundraiser in September following the fatal bus crash involving students and staff at Farmingdale High School. One hundred forty-four pizzerias raised $102,000 then.
“Getting 144 businesses at that time and raising all that money, I feel like I did something good with the business,” Laurino told PIX11.
As for this fundraiser, Laurino said:
“[Diller was a] Long Island guy who lives in Massapequa. I’m from Massapequa. Massapequa’s huge. We don’t live near each other, but NYPD, who doesn’t love the cops?” Laurino told PIX11.
There’s no word yet on how much was raised by the all-day fundraiser. You can learn more information at LIPizzaStrong.com
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