A Slice of Hope: Eat pizza, fight cancer

Friday people can eat great pizza, buy delicious desserts and help fund the fight against breast cancer.

Nalivka's Pizza Kitchen will take part in "Slice of Hope, " a program to aid the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation, a national charity based in Seattle.

"There are few families that haven't been touched by breast cancer, " said Gay Nalivka.

"This is something that is near and dear to our hearts, " said, explaining that family and friends have been affected by the disease.

That is what prompted them to join the nationwide program to raise funds for the foundation.

Ten percent of the sale of food on Friday will be donated to the charity, said Gay Nalivka.

The sale of desserts was really popular last year, she said, "so we decided to step it up a notch. "

In addition, small desserts will be sold with the money going to the foundation.

Special big desserts will be auctioned off, she said.

To be auctioned off include:

• A Lady Baltimore cake, a raspberry-cream filled dessert.
• A cupcake tower with assorted speciality cupcakes.
• A gigantic neapolitan cake with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cake.
• A chocolate chip mint cake.

"The big desserts will be great for bosses to take back and share with their staff, " she said.

People will submit bids throughout the day. At 8:30 p. m., people will be notified if they won and the treats will be delivered to the winners.

The pizzeria will be open 11 a. m. to 10 p. m., as usual, she said. People can call 265-4050, and people are encouraged to come in any time to buy pizza and small desserts and bid on the big desserts.

The staff waiting on people will be dressed in "Slice of Hope" T-shirts, she said.

Last year, she said, there was such an outpouring of public support, the pizza ovens were stacked up. So, just as the pizzeria does on Christmas Eve, people can call in advance and tell the staff when they would like to pick up the pizza.

Slice of Hope is spearheaded by Pizza Today magazine editor Jeremy White.

White, Pizza Today publisher Pete Lachapelle and a small team of cyclists will bike from Lakeland, Fla., to Naples, Fla., this week to raise awareness for Slice of Hope's fight against breast cancer.

More than 190,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. And, sadly, approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease this year. That's approximately 110 breast cancer deaths daily.

Nalivka said her business decided to take part in the program again this year because of the tremendous public support last year.

"We have the greatest customers in the world, and the best community support. "