McKeesport throws pizza party

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

McKeesport residents on Saturday were treated to an unconventional pizza party that allowed them to practice social distancing and have a hot and fresh meal.

About 40 McKeesport and Allegheny County police officers joined forces with the offices of Mayor Michael Cherepko, Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala; Difenderfer, Rothham and Haber law firm; Teamsters Local 205; Penney Eye Care of McKeesport; PurePenn’s McKeesport Community Fund; Versailles Avenue Family Dollar (McKeesport); and North Versailles Walmart to raise money to buy pizzas to give away to McKeesport residents.

Once they had the cash in hand, the groups reached out to the McKeesport-area pizza shops of Broadway Pizza & Sub, Domino’s, Falorio’s, Italian Village Pizza, Mama Pepino’s Pizza, Pizza Burgh, Pasquale’s and The Original Pizza & Gyro Express, purchasing 700 pizzas at a discounted rate for the pizza extravaganza.

Cars lined up in two single-file lines at the RIDC Industrial Center of McKeesport — so as not to disrupt traffic on Lysle Boulevard or any other busy city streets — and one-by-one drove through a pizza pick-up station where police officers, city workers and members of Brewster’s McKeesport office were waiting to give them a hot pizza and bottles of water.

Those who are homebound for medical reasons or don’t have a car and couldn’t make it to the drive-thru area were given the chance to call the mayor’s office and request that a pizza be delivered.

Residents of the Harrison Village and Crawford Village apartment complexes were treated when the mayor and several McKeesport police officers knocked on their door to hand them piping hot pizza pies.

Cherepko, McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer and ACPD Sgt. Jason Binder said the event was meant to be light-hearted and fun and wasn’t necessarily only meant for those who are unemployed or experiencing financial hardship.

“With everything that is going on in the world around us right now, these are extremely trying and challenging times for everybody. In pretty much no one’s lifetime have they had to deal with anything like this,” Cherepko said through his Pittsburgh Penguins print homemade mask. “This was a chance to provide pizzas to City of McKeesport residents who not only need a nice hot meal right now for whatever reason, but also, I think it was just for us to give people a chance to have something to look forward to. 

“We were hoping to give them a reason to get in the car, drive by and maybe put a smile on their face.”

McKeesport resident Kimberly Brownfield was all smiles as she waited in the quick-moving line Saturday, waving and shouting greetings to friends who were also sitting in their cars.

“I think this is awesome,” Brownfield said. “We totally appreciate this and all that our local police officers are doing.”

McKeesport resident Monica Dawkins, who has been trying her best for the past couple of months to stay at home and spend time with her family, said the event provided her loved ones a chance to get out of the house.

“I think this is a blessing what they’re doing,” she said. “They’re not only giving everyone something to eat, but they’re giving us a chance to see some of our friends in their cars while we practice social distancing.

“I’m happy they gave us a chance to get out of the house. This is probably the most excitement any of us have had in a long time. It’s really nice.”

Cherepko said the event gave the participating organizations a chance to patronize local businesses.

“When you’re in a time like this, where businesses themselves are taking a hit and they’re not making the money that they normally make, yet they’re being so generous — it’s just incredible,” he said. “It was amazing. When our chief and assistant chief reached out to the participating businesses, they didn’t hesitate to get involved.

“They said ‘What can we do,’ and that doesn’t surprise me. That’s what McKeesport is. McKeesport, no matter what obstacles and challenges there are, we come together and work together.”

“We truly appreciate these pizza shops stepping up and putting their people to work to pump out these 700 pizzas,” Chief Alfer said. “I’m also so grateful to and proud of our officers from McKeesport and Allegheny County Police Department for coming out today and volunteering their time to make sure our residents have a good time and leave with something to eat.”

Binder said ACPD recently held a similar pizza party in Wilmerding, where 350 pizzas were given away.

“We want the public to know that we do understand what is going on right now and that we want to help them out,” Binder said. “Being able to help the community at this time, during a pandemic, is unbelievable.”

“Being able to help out 700 families in the City of McKeesport is truly a feel good thing,” Alfer interjected.