Loading up the pizza oven is part of Robert Caruso’s daily routine, but last month that routine took a turn, caused by an NHL team's extended stay.
“Any time you hear about NHL player or an NHL team coming into your shop and ordering pizza, you’re ecstatic.”
But the pies weren't meant for the players. Since early August the Las Vegas Golden Knights treated some of Edmonton’s homeless to a weekly pizza party.
“Overwhelmed with gratitude for what has happened here,” said Elliot Tanti of Boyle Street Community Services.
The Golden Knights have now been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the good will they started just metres from Boyle Street will live on.
“A lot of the time they’re doing cool things for the fans, but it’s not often that the fans get to do a cool thing for the team,” said Knights Scott Jividen.
Jividen hails from Reno Nevada. He heard about the Knight’s good deed and wanted the team’s legacy to live on in Edmonton. He took to the internet to gauge interest from other fans, and it didn’t take long to get other fans on board.
“As soon as I thought ‘You know what, maybe we could actually do it, there’s enough interest online,’ I actually got in my car after work and called Tony and he sounded surprised.”
Caruso got straight to work, designing a platform that could handle pizza orders from around the world..
“Probably never been to Edmonton, probably never had our pizza,” he said.
But the orders have been coming in all the same. Each pizza purchased for the campaign is discounted, and the restaurant will match up to 14 large pies each week.
“For someone from outside our city, our province, our country to want to help our community and support the people that we serve, people who are experiencing homelessness is just such a profound gesture,” said Tanti.
You can donate a pizza by going to the Panini's website.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jay Rosove.
