Cincinnati Pizza Pop-Up Raising Funds for Hawaii Wildfire Victims

Aloha Pizza Photo: Provided by Companion Pizza

A Cincinnati pizza pop-up is doing its part to help victims of the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.

Companion, a “Neopolitanish” pizza pop-up with a Sunday residence at Oakley Wines, will be at the wine shop and bar this Sunday to raise funds for the Maui Food Bank by selling its twist on Hawaiian pizza.

“Though we are just a little pizza pop-up in Cincinnati, OH, we felt that we could use the small platform we have to do a little good,” owner Matt Owens said in a press release.

The “Aloha” pizza features house tomato sauce, a mozzarella and provolone cheese blend, fresh pineapple, seared Spam, pickled jalapeños, Little Sunshine Edible Flowers and a special furikake crust topping sprinkled on top of Companion’s 72-hour, cold-fermented slow dough. Owens will donate 100% of the profits of Aloha’s sales to the Maui Food Bank.

Owens says while the Hawaiian-style pizza was actually created by a Greek-born pizza shop owner in Canada and has no roots in Hawaii, he thought it could be a fun way to harness the idea for good, as “aloha,” while a greeting and farewell in Hawaii, also has a deeper cultural meaning. Aloha represents peace, love, compassion, perseverance and living in harmony with people and the land.

“In days following the tragedy, we’ve learned so much about the spirit of the Hawaiian people and the concept of Aloha, or spreading Aloha,” Owens said. “We chose the name based on that meaning – it felt perfect for what we’re trying to do, raise money to feed those displaced from their home by this awful fire.”

And if you’re not a fan of pineapple on pizza, Owens is encouraging people to donate directly to the Maui Food Bank.

This fundraiser is also the launch of Companion’s “Pizza With Purpose” initiative, which will be a key part of its mission and include community-minded fundraisers in the future.

The Aloha Pizza fundraiser will run from 2-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27 at Oakley Wines (4011 Allston St., Oakley). Learn more about Companion Pizza here.

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