‘Life Gave Me Pizzas, So I Made Peace:' Lehigh Valley Cancer Patient Wins Free Pizza for a Year, Donates Them to Food Bank
Man battling cancer wanted to pay it forward after winning a local pizza contest
By NBC10 Staff ••
A Northampton County cancer patient is paying it forward after winning a competition from a local pizza shop. He decided to donate the pizza he won to a local food bank in order to help other people who were struggling. His act of kindness even inspired the pizza shop’s owner. NBC10’s George Spencer has the details.
A Lehigh Valley cancer patient is paying it forward during the holidays – one pizza pie at a time.
Josh Katrick was diagnosed with colon cancer in July and has been getting by with the support of his family and friends.
A few weeks ago, he entered a local pizza give-away from his favorite pizzeria, Mario’s Pizza Shop in Northampton, Pennsylvania. Two weeks later, Katrick found out he won a year's worth of free pizza.
But when he did, he knew he wanted to do something good with it. So he decided to donate the two pizzas a month to a local food bank.
"Everybody was so grateful and paying it forward to me, I thought this an opportunity to pay it forward to other people who are down on their luck or going through hard times," Katrick said.
“The old adage is ‘When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.’ Well, life gave me pizzas so I made peace.”
Inspired by Katrick’s generosity, the pizza shop’s owner, Giovanni Aiello, is giving the man an additional 24 pies.
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As for Katrick’s health, he is expected to make a complete recovery and he’s already much of the way there. He's completed 7 of his 12 chemotherapy treatments.
