Retailer invites customers to pay it forward with pizza.
Halloween can be a scary holiday for kids. But not having enough food is even scarier for too many kids in the greater Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash., areas. Local 7‑Eleven stores are inviting residents to do something about it this Halloween weekend in its second “pay-it-forward” pizza campaign.
More than 90 stores are participating in the three-day campaign. Customers can purchase a large pizza (pepperoni or cheese) for $5.55, which will be delivered to the Oregon Food Bank and Birch Community Services in Portland and the LINKS food program in Vancouver.
While 7‑Eleven’s pizzas are typically baked and served hot to customers, the donated pizzas are kept frozen until recipient families choose to prepare them. The pizzas will be distributed to the needy through local nonprofit organizations.
Last December, Portland 7‑Eleven stores invited customers to give away pizzas to the needy. The idea took off. One store, the 7‑Eleven on NE Kane Drive in Gresham, sold 45 pizzas in a single day, and the customers donated more than 1,300 pizzas during the holiday campaign.
“Halloween is a holiday geared toward children who love to dress up and get treats in their neighborhoods,” said Larry Hughes, zone leader for 7‑Eleven stores in the Pacific Northwest. “Pizza is a lot of kids’ favorite food, and the pay-it-forward pizza program offers a quick and easy way for people to treat a needy family to a hot meal their children will love.”
A special display complete with pizza boxes and a colorful sign communicates the pay-it-forward campaign in the participating 7‑Eleven stores that offer hot foods like fresh-baked pizza, chicken tenders and wings.
