Businesses support pizza fundraiser to benefit suicide prevention efforts

What's happening: The seventh-annual Pizza With A Purpose fundraiser was held in Munising on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30, raising $20,466.50 to help support suicide prevention efforts in Alger County. One of the county’s largest fundraisers of the year, organizers credit a large portion of the money raised to local businesses for both buying into the event and for one seasonal pizzeria’s crucial business planning.

What is the fundraiser: Pizza With A Purpose is organized by Alger County Communities that Care (AC3), a 501(c)3 non-profit promoting a healthier community. The event is hosted at Pictured Rocks Pizza, a pizza place open for just the busy tourism season in Munising. To keep up with increasing tourism numbers throughout September, Pictured Rocks Pizza continues to buy plenty of ingredients while other seasonal businesses start to purposely run low on inventory. Then, after a one-week shutdown, the business opens for two days just for the fundraiser. Revenue from the days' sales goes to AC3; no food product is wasted by the business, and locals and tourists alike get an extra weekend of pizza and pasta.

Local employers also get involved by taking orders and bringing their staff lunch or dinner during the two-day fundraiser. Roughly half of the 400 pizzas made on the first day of the fundraiser were bought by businesses with an even higher percentage on Friday.  

What they're saying: “I know of no other fundraisers that generated this level of support from other local businesses. This is awesome,” said Marjorie Moore, secretary for AC3. “This is so supported by the community, so we’ll tweak it a little to make it run more efficiently and hopefully get some more businesses involved.”

What's next: AC3 will take the funds to help pay for social workers in Alger County schools. Social workers are available to the four public and one private school district in the county to promote positive mental health and give the students and staff a person to talk to when in need. For Pictured Rocks Pizza, the eatery will continue regular shutdown procedures for the year and reopen in May for the start of the summer tourism season.