Love, Hope & Pizza, in partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), is making services available to local women in need at Moffitt Cancer Center, including mammograms, diagnostic services, and patient navigation. Early detection saved my life, having a baseline mammogram at 35 years of age enabled radiologists to pick up the anomaly in my left breast following a routine annual mammogram at age 42. This is me with my boys the day before treatment began.
The same goes for Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs associate Andrea Adair, a Lakeland resident, and two-time breast cancer survivor. Ask Andrea and she will tell you, "Early detection saved my life," Andrea shared, “One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Through Hungry Howies Love, Hope & Pizza program we’ve brought services to the Tampa Bay area and around the country by raising more than $1.5 million to provide support, education, and research.”
The Love, Hope & Pizza initiative this year includes local projects like the “Love & Hope Quilt” and the “Hands of Hope” art mural. Love, Hope and Pizza, a Hungry Howies program, raises funds for NBCF, one of Charity Navigator’s top rated charitable organizations since 2003! So how can you get involved? Hungry Howie’s invites you to join them in dedicating the "Hands of Hope" mural. Painting began today and will continue through tomorrow. Dedication and survivor signing take place October 1st from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 3073 18th Ave S, St. Petersburg. The public is welcome to dedicate a handprint to a survivor or lost loved one.
A handmade “Love & Hope Quilt” is also being raffled to raise money for NBCF. It was designed and sewn by Debbie Devine, former Hungry Howie’s store owner and Spring Hill resident. Enter to win this amazing one-of-a-kind handmade quilt! For every donation you make to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. from the Love & Hope Quilt Facebook Page, you receive a chance to win the quilt and dozens of other weekly food prizes! Contest ends at 11:59 on Monday, October 31st, 2016.
Want to be part of the Quilt project? You can! If you like to sew, design and create squares for future “Love & Hope Quilts! Each time you send a Quilted Square for the 2017 quilt you get a pizza coupon! Send your 12" x 12" quilted creations, themed for "Love, Hope & Pizza". For every quilted square received, Hungry Howies will mail you a $10 Gift Certificate for Hungry Howie's Pizza in Florida. Send Squares Attention: Hungry Howie's Pizza Squares, 9300 5th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 and remember to include your return address!
Throughout October, Hungry Howie’s pizzas will be served in pink Love, Hope & Pizza boxes with the NBCF logo. A portion of all pizza sales and brownies with pink icing and 100% of all Love, Hope & Pizza merchandise will be donated to NBCF. 
If you or a loved one faced breast cancer and have an uplifting story to share, please tell Hungry Howies about it on their wall and use the hashtag #LoveHopePizza. Together we can make a difference! I survived thanks to early detection, let's give the gift of early detection and the hope of remission to all women! My physician team, family, and friends pulled me through, had it not been for early detection, for my ability to have that life-changing mammogram I would most likely not be at my desk, writing these words, encouraging you to attend these events and to only order your Pizzas from Hungry Howies.
In remission 12 years now, there have been years where I could not afford a mammogram, needing to rely on charitable organizations like the NBCF to take care of me. I can not thank Hungry Howies enough for all they do to keep this amazing organization funded and able to help women in need get the services they require!
I look forward to seeing you at the dedication October 1st from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 3073 18th Ave South in St. Petersburg, when we will kick off a month of Love, Hope, and Pizza to help women in need!
