The Inn at Harbor Shores is always a special place to be, and this Monday, March 27th, Plank’s Tavern On The Water is hosting a very exciting event: Pizza For A Cause. Special guest chef, Fredi the PizzaMan, will be making heavenly pies from 4 p.m to 9 p.m, filling bellies and raising funds for his organization, the Fredi the PizzaMan Foundation.
“The Inn has a close relationship with Fredi,” says ElizaBeth Hacker, Director of Sales at the Inn at Harbor Shores. “Our General Manager, Brady, met Fredi while dining at his restaurant in Detroit, and participated in a fundraising golf tournament for his Foundation. Once, while some of our management team was coming back from a training conference in Canada, Fredi opened his restaurant after hours to make us pizza! It was really good!”
Since 2016, Fredi Bello and his team of volunteers have generously raised over $100,000 to equip Michigan schools with sensory rooms, spreading Autism Awareness And Acceptance across the state. The rooms use a variety of objects to calm or stimulate a child through all five senses, helping improve focus and motor skills. “We focus on making the maximum positive effort for all communities,” the Foundation says. “Our members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us affect change. We strive to make a long-lasting difference for the teachers, communities, schools, parents, and most importantly, the children.”
To date, fifty-nine schools in Michigan have had the privilege to receive equipment and funding for equipment through the foundation, including our own E.P. Clarke Elementary in St. Joseph. In November of 2021, the Fredi The PizzaMan Foundation donated over $1500 to the school, enabling E.P. Clarke to furnish multiple spaces in their building with sensory tools.
“We wanted to be able to give back to the community,” says ElizaBeth. “Part of the proceeds from all sales of the evening, (not just pizza), will go to Fredi’s foundation.”
Activities at Plank’s Tavern on Monday, March 27th will begin at 4 p.m, and reservations are recommended. Kaleidoscope Events’ DJ Jonathan brings sweet tunes to the lobby, and Chained Melody, a custom-fit permanent jewelry shop, will be on-site as well, offering unique and beautiful jewelry for purchase.
Ensure you get a seat at the table by making a reservation online, or by phone at 269-408-9108, and come enjoy an evening of philanthropy, fundraising, and Barstool Pizza-approved pie, at Plank’s Tavern On The Water.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
