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Cook-off fills pizza lovers’ stomachs, education group’s coffers
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Geoffrey Hauschild|The Vindicator.Potential Development Preschooler, Dylan Nichols, 4, takes a break from his pizza during the Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off at the Embassy on Sunday afternoon. The event benefits the Potential Development Program which serves about 80 children locally with the help of approximately 40 staffers.
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Geoffrey Hauschild|The Vindicator.Committee Chairman for The Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off, Sue Stricklin, and Executive Director of Potential Development, Paul Garchar, take a break from their duties for a portrait during the Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off at the Embassy on Sunday afternoon.
By D.A. WILKINSON
wilkinson@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
As the benefit for the Potential Development Program Inc.started to wind down, Sue Stricklin, the committee chairman looked around and said, “It was standing room only.”
She wasn’t kidding.
The Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off at The Embassy on Youngstown-Poland Road on Sunday was running out of parking spaces before the doors officially opened. Merchants across the street gratefully donated their parking spaces to accommodate the overflow.
Stricklin, who works at Home Savings, is a board member of Potential Development that has three sites in Mahoning and Trumbull counties to serve preschool and school-age children with developmental delays, challenging behaviors and autism spectrum disorder.
“There is no better place in the world than the Mahoning Valley,” Stricklin said. “We’re running this program for a very good cause.”
And the program, like everything else, needs money. Paul Garchar, the executive director of the school program said it runs two pre-schools and a school for youths in kindergarten through grade eight.
It’s annual budget is about $1.4 million a year with a staff of 42 people.
After discussing ways to improve fundraising, the plan for The Mahoning Valley Pizza Cook-Off was formed.
One rule was that only local pizza shops could compete for the title of “Maestro Di Cucina,” which she said translates into “master of cooking.”
Each ticket gave a person two slices of pizza and a small salad. The competing pizza shops were the Avalon Gardens, Bellaria, Bruno Bros., Cocca’s, Gody’s; Tuscan-Cuccina, Ianazone’s, Pizza Joe’s, Strikers, Sunrise Inn, Wedgewood and Westgate.
The categories were traditional, non-red (no sause) gourmet and Brier Hill. Local media and sports figures were the judges.
A number of other companies donated items through a silent auction.
One diner was Shannon Slezyak, a teacher’s assistant in the PDP program.
“I like it. It’s just fun,” she said.
Jon Parsons and his girlfriend, Deanna Canter, of Youngstown, said they were enjoying the Bruno Bros. pizza.
Michelle Greenwood said she liked the Strikers and Sunrise Inn pizza.
“I like it all, she said.