CHICAGO, IL — On Monday, December 19 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, a final donation of 3,300 pizzas will be distributed to feed Chicagoans in need as part of the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Home Run Inn (HRI), the pizza company that has captured the heart of Chicago since opening its first tavern on the South Side in 1947.
This final event marks over 10,000 pizzas donated in 2022 and caps off a year-long partnership between the oldest family-owned pizza brand and the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). Maura McCauley, Deputy Commissioner of Homeless and Domestic Violence Programs for the City of Chicago, Home Run Inn Fourth Generation Family Members, CEO Dan Costello and Senior Vice President Gina (Perrino) Bolger will be on hand, along with Dreezy Claus, Chicago’s Black Santa, and The Caroling Connection, an offering of With A Voice Like This, to hand out pizzas to twenty Chicago Homeless Shelters at the Original Home Run Inn location at 4254 W. 31st Street – A true “Miracle on 31st Street.”
“As we wrap up the year, I’m incredibly thankful for the collaboration and partnership with Homerun Inn, and our mutual goal of assisting families across Chicago. Their gracious donations have allowed us to continue to feed Chicago families that need it the most.” Brandie Knazze, Commissioner for the Department of Family and Support Services
“We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with the City of Chicago to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Home Run Inn in 2022” says Dan Costello, CEO of Home Run Inn. “It is an honor and privilege to be able to carry out our 75 year legacy in this great city and also give back to those in need by donating 10,000 pizzas this year.”
During the year, pizza giveaways were established for the City of Chicago’s Homeless Shelters, Senior Centers and Community Service Centers, which included 2500 pizzas to elementary schools. With this commitment to serve vulnerable populations, Home Run Inn and DFSS worked together to create a real community and food-access impact for many thousands of Chicago residents.
ABOUT HOME RUN INN
Home Run Inn is considered Chicago’s very own thin crust pizza known for its irresistible flavor, hand-pinched buttery crust, zesty sauce, plentiful cheese and homemade sausage. The small tavern of the 1920’s was named Home Run Inn in 1947. Now, the company has 9 pizzerias throughout the Chicagoland area and frozen pizza sold in more than 40 states. Home Run Inn also is currently the official pizza of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and sold at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. Still family-owned and operated, Home Run Inn ranks among the top 10 in pizza brands sold nationally and number one in the Chicagoland area. For further information, visit www.homeruninnpizza.com.
ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND SUPPORT SERVICES (DFSS)
DFSS works with community partners to connect Chicago residents and families to resources that build stability, support their well-being, and empower them to thrive. As the 5th largest City agency and one of the largest social service funders in Chicago, DFSS provides direct services at six Community Service Centers, six Regional Senior Centers, and through partnerships with 360 community-based organizations across the city. In total, DFSS services and funding supports over 400,000 vulnerable Chicagoans each year.
Connect with DFSS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Learn more about DFSS at www.chicago.gov/fss
ABOUT THE CAROLING CONNECTION
The Caroling Connection, an offering of With A Voice Like This, was founded in 2016. Jim Goodrich, our Founder and Head Voice, has been singing and performing professionally in the Chicago area for over thirty years. The Caroling Connection appeared in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Festival Lane in both 2016, 2017 & 2019. They were also featured on the national broadcast of the 2017 & 2019 Lights Festival Parade. They also garnered a credit for the parade on IMDB.com, The Internet Movie Database (link opens in a new window). The holiday season is almost magical in its warmth and welcoming nature. The goal of The Caroling Connection is to give our audiences and client that sense of connection, as well as being a part of something larger than yourself, being part of the Caroling Connection family.
