From school fundraisers to meals for neighbors in need, one Spring pizza shop continues giving back to the community that has helped keep its doors open for more than two decades.
Pizza Zone, the Spring pizzeria Debbie and Paul Gainor have run for more than 26 years, won a $2,000 national award for community service from the Hillshire Farm Brand's Great Pizza Give Back contest.
The restaurant was one of 10 winners selected from across the country in the fifth annual contest, which recognizes independent pizza operators who give back beyond their restaurant walls, according to the contest's winner page on the Tyson Foodservice website. A California pizzeria took the $15,000 grand prize, PMQ Pizza reported.
For Spring residents, Pizza Zone's community work is familiar. The restaurant hosts more than 50 Spirit Night fundraisers each school year, partnering with local schools, churches, the library and athletic teams. A portion of sales during each event goes directly to the partner organization.
The Gainors' contest profile also notes the restaurant donated more than 700 pounds of food to a local food pantry over the past year and hosted canned food drives.
"When Paul and I opened Pizza Zone more than 26 years ago, we never imagined how many wonderful relationships we'd build along the way," Debbie Gainor, co-owner, said in a statement. "This community has supported our family and our business for all these years, and we've always believed in giving that support right back."
The couple opened their first location in February 2000 in a 1,200-square-foot shop. They moved to a larger space in 2017. "We feel that a neighborhood pizzeria means being part of the neighborhood," Gainer said. "This community has supported our family and our business through all these years, and giving back just seems like the perfect thing for us to do."
Gainor said the award money will support a new umbrella program called Pizza Zone Cares. Plans include organizing a Christmas party at Hope Center Houston, a nonprofit that provides services for homeless individuals in the Spring-Klein area, where the Pizza Zone team will provide and serve lunch and bring gift bags. The restaurant also plans to donate pizzas and help serve guests at a Christmas celebration hosted by Healing Hearts with Helping Hands, a nonprofit focused on supporting young mothers and families.
Pizza Zone has also been donating pizzas to Hearts of Rescue, a facility serving individuals experiencing homelessness in the area.
Gainor said Pizza Zone Cares will not be limited to a few events. "As new needs arise in our community, we hope to continue finding ways to help wherever we can," she said.
