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For Inner Circle owner, employees, Ice Bucket Challenge takes on a personal meaning
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A dozen people participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge, an online campaign to raise money for the ALS Association, on Wednesday at Inner Circle Pizza in Poland in honor of Inner Circle co-founder John Conti, who died of ALS in 2010. His business partner, Don Larcinese, who still owns Inner Circle, participated in the challenge along with employees at the restaurant and friends of Conti .
PolANd
As the Ice Bucket Challenge sweeps the country, 12 people in the Valley did the challenge at Inner Circle Pizza on Wednesday for a personal reason — to honor John Conti, co-founder of the business, who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis July 4, 2010.
The challenge is a social-media campaign aimed at raising money for the ALS Association.
“When John was diagnosed, it really put a whole new spin on ALS for us,” said Janie James, a friend of Conti’s. “He was loved by so many then, and he still is four years later.
“We had heard about [ALS] before, but when he was diagnosed it was like, whoa.”
ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is a fatal disease with no known cause or cure.
James’s husband, Ron, was one of the participants in the challenge.
The participants stood outside the restaurant next to U.S. Route 224 as they doused themselves with buckets full of icy water. As motorists drove past, many honked their horns in support.
The Ice Bucket Challenge is an online campaign in which participants make a video of themselves pouring a bucket of ice water on their heads, and then challenge other people either to do the same thing or donate $100 to the ALS Association.
So far, the campaign has raised $31.5 million in donations for the association, compared with $1.9 million raised in the same period last year, according to the organization’s website.
“This is sweeping the country. And since my partner died from ALS four years ago, ... our challenge is going to be for people not doing the Ice Bucket Challenge to step up and make a donation,” said Don Larcinese, who founded Inner Circle along with Conti and who still owns the business. “We’re doing this today so we can help others tomorrow.”
Conti was diagnosed with ALS 21/2 years before he died.
“He fought a very valiant battle. He never complained once,” Larcinese said.
Larcinese took part in the challenge along with Kelly Wolford, Rachel Nuzzo, Kaeley Fleeger, LeAnna Wasmund, Kandi Simkins, Nene Stewart, John Uvena, Bernie Tunno, Jack Russell, Ron James and Dominic Viccarielli. Some are employees at Inner Circle; others were friends of Conti’s.
“I’m glad we’re doing [the challenge], because of John,” Nuzzo, an employee, said.
Conti and Larcinese started Inner Circle Pizza together in 1972 with the downtown Youngstown location. “We were partners for 42 years,” Larcinese said, saying he and Conti had started another business, the Bavarian House, in 1968. They met at Youngstown State University where they were fraternity brothers.
Larcinese decided to do the challenge after being challenged by people at the Canfield location of Inner Circle, which is one of four locations of the franchise along with the Boardman, Austintown and downtown restaurants.