Published: April 02, 2009 12:12 am      

Pizza sales this Saturday mean funds for United Way

FAIRMONT — Officials at the United Way of Marion County want everyone to enjoy a pizza on Saturday.

Tiffany Samuels, executive director of the United Way, said the organization’s newest fundraiser is dependent upon people feeding their craving for a pizza pie.

“Slam dunk for your community; pizza day for the United Way” will be celebrated Saturday with the help of five local pizza shops: Colasessano’s, Domino’s, Fox’s Pizza Den, Marcello’s and Papa John’s.

Each of the businesses will donate a portion of the day’s profits to the United Way of Marion County. Samuels said each business is participating in a different way, donating from $1 per pie to 20 percent of each order.

The event ties in nicely with the NCAA Final Four basketball games to be held that day, perfect for parties, Samuels said.

“We’re very pleased. It’s rare you find business competitors who are willing to collaborate,” Samuels said. “We’re honored ot be the recipient of the collaboration.”

Everything raised on Saturday goes to the United Way of Marion County and the 18 agencies it supports, Samuels said. Those organizations do many things for many people in the community, from providing support for those abused or displaced to community activities and education.

This year, the United Way chose not to publicize its fundraising goal, Samuels said. The original idea was to see what the county was capable of doing. Of course, that idea was born long before the current economic downturn began, she said.

Even with the poor economy, the local United Way is only $30,000 away from reaching its fundraising goal, which Samuels still declined to reveal.

“We want to raise at least another $30,000 so we can fully fund our agencies for 2009,” she said. “We’re just going full steam ahead for another $30,000.”

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.