PIZZA PARTY
Police share pizza surplus with community members
POTTSTOWN » Wednesday was a borough-wide pizza party, thanks to the police and some good Samaritans.
Two volunteer groups, working independently and unaware of the other’s efforts, ended up delivering more pizza to the police than they could eat in a day.
So they did what all good neighbors do, they paid it forward and shared it with the neighborhood.
A Montgomery County-based group called Lunch is on Us is making the rounds, delivering donated or low-cost pizzas to police as a sign of appreciation for their service.
Jeff Zawada of Perkiomenville said so far he, Eric Swarr of Collegeville and Sean Frisco of Upper Frederick, have hit 26 departments, including the sheriff’s office and the state police.
“We just want to show our gratitude,” said Zawada. “It’s the least we can do for you guys.”
“People can do this as individuals, or form a group like we did,” said Swarr.
He said it is his hope that the movement will go nationwide.
The 12 pizzas brought to the Pottstown police were donated by Nick’s Pizza on West High Street
in Stowe.
Zawada said his group also stopped by the police headquarters at West Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove Wednesday with pizzas for them as well.
He said this has been a difficult time for police, but insisted he didn’t want the gesture to be viewed as “political. We just want you to know we’ve got your backs.”
But that did not stop a political candidate, Kathy Barnette, the Republican running to unseat firstterm Democratic incumbent Madeleine Dean from Pennsylvania’s 4th District seat in Congress, from saying a few words.
“I feel like our nation is in serious trouble,” said Barnette. “Putting the spotlight on the people who protect us from the violence and the chaos and the feckless behavior of the ones we call leaders.”
As the Lunch is on Us volunteers joined Banrette in front of a local television camera, Police Chief Michael Markovich was inside resisting a reporter’s pleadings that he eat some pizza for the newspaper’s camera.
“I’ve got a salad,” he said with a smile.
What he also had, was a surplus of pizza.
Because unaware of the Lunch is on Us effort, Pastor Justin Valentine at Kingdom Life Church on Walnut Street had done the same thing, and put together a pizza lunch for the officers on the same day, also as a sign of appreciation.
“There’s just no way we can eat it all,” said Markovich. “I’m going to have the guys head out and share it with the neighbors.”
So officer Jake Ritter headed over to the Bright Hope community, where he was a welcome sight, delivering pizza like Santa in July.
And Officer Melida Beary and Detective Anthony Fischer paid a visit to the open fire hydrant event being staged by the Parks and Recreation Department at the corner of York and Chestnut streets.
There, the kids (and a few adults) playing in the spray got an extra cheesy treat.
One might call it a slice of life in Pottstown.