Pizza is not only a gastronomic symbol, but also an instrument of encounter and solidarity. From this idea was born In the Name of the Pizza, the first fundraising dinner organized in the city this Tuesday at Song’ E Napule.
The initiative supports the mission of the organization: donate thousands of pizzas to people in difficulty, including children supported by No Kid Hungry. To tell the origin is Luciano Lamonarca, in art Luciano Il Monarca, founder of the association, opera singer of international fame and special guest of the evening. “Pizza for a Smile is an initiative born almost by chance in 2021, after the pandemic”, says Lamonarca. “Everything started with my son Sebastian, who was waiting for a pizza in front of a Neapolitan food truck near our house”.
The following scene is the one from which the whole project takes shape. “Once he received the pizza, Sebastian turned around and saw a child of his age near him, he was five years old, crying desperately because he could not have it. It was not a matter of poverty: simply the mother could not find the cash necessary to pay it, and the credit card did not work”. At that point, Lamonarca tells, the son reacted naturally. «Sebastian turned towards her and offered her his pizza, saying: if you want, we can share it».
A simple, almost automatic gesture, but left a deep mark. “That little episode lit in me a reflection: why Sebastian did this? And above all, what does pizza really represent for us? ». For Lamonarca the answer has little to do with food only. “The pizza puts us in good mood, makes us feel good and is a universal dish. But above all it puts us all on the same level: who gives and who receives can share together the same convivial moment”.
It is from this intuition that the philosophy of Pizza for a Smile is born. “For those who struggle every day to have access to the goods of first necessity, believe me, a pizza can mean much more than a meal. Pizza for a Smile brings well-being, closeness and a sense of community that so many people really need.” To host the evening will be pizzaiolo Ciro Iovine, owner of Song’ E Napule, who will prepare Neapolitan pizzas for guests. Andrew Cotto, writer and editor of Appetito Magazine will be running.
L’articolo <i>In the Name of the Pizza</i>: when a shared pizza returns a smile from IlNewyorkese.
