San Jose, Calif. (PRLOG) October 6, 2006 -- Kids can demonstrate their pizza making skills and win great prizes at the first national pizza making contest held at independent pizzerias nationwide on Saturday, October 7. A Slice of New York, Lindsay Olives and The World Pizza Champions Inc. challenge children, ages 12 and younger, to make a kid-sized pie with their favorite ingredients, including olives, at the pizzeria, where it will be baked and judged.
A Slice of New York was selected from thousands of pizzerias nation wide to host this competition in San Jose.
There will be 3 judges for this event, including a personal chef, a Santa Clara mayoral candidate, and a strategic accounts director of a hi-tech marketing agency.
Kids will be given one uncooked pizza dough and a selection of sauces and toppings. The winning pizza pie will be named by its creator and added to the pizzeria’s menu. One Grand Prize winner randomly selected from winners at the independent pizzerias will be awarded a visit by one of The World Pizza Champion Team members to learn some pizza acrobatic tricks. Most recently The World Pizza Champions performed their breath-taking pizza pie acrobatics on “Master of Champions,” ABC-TV’s prime time reality show. All winners will receive a case of their favorite Lindsay Olives.
Space is limited, so kids are encouraged to sign-up immediately by visiting A Slice of New York.
If the sign-up sheet is full, kids can participate in an online pizza making contest by going to www.lindsayolives.com after October 1 and read the rules to submit their tasty recipes.
About two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) consider pizza to be among their favorite meals to eat with their family, according to a recent survey commissioned by Lindsay Olives and conducted by Harris Interactive®
According to Tony Gemignani of World Pizza Champions, olives are a "must have topping" when it comes to making pizza. “When it comes to pizzerias, olives are one of the most important ingredients on a pizza,” says Tony. “All of the World Pizza Champion's pizzerias use olives!”
For contest rules and a list of participating pizzerias, please visit www.lindsayolives.com/
About Lindsay Olives
Lindsay Olives’ parent Bell-Carter Foods was established in 1912 in Berkeley, Calif., and now produces more than 10 million cases of olives annually, making it the nation’s largest olive processor. The family business is operated by third and fourth-generation family members, with headquarters in Lafayette, CA. For recipes and photographs, please visit www.lindsayolives.com.
About The World Pizza Champions
The World Pizza Champions are made up of members Michael Shepherd of Michael Angelo's Pizza in Kenton and Rushsylvania, Ohio; Tony Gemignani and Ken Bryant of Pyzano’s Pizzeria in Castro Valley, CA; Joe Carlucci of Famous Joe's in Danbury,CT; Siler Chapman of Pizza Works in Fort Mills, SC and Sean Brauser of Romeo's Pizza in Medina, OH. Each member has earned the highest awards in several different categories in the pizza industry. They are considered by many pizza operators worldwide as professionals and pioneers.
Team members have appeared on the Today Show, Master of Champions, Emeril Live, Tony Danza Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno, Early Show, CNN, The Ellen Show, ESPN, the Food Network, Good Morning America, BBC Radio, and numerous industry magazine covers. They have come together to form an affiliation to promote their restaurants and their skills. Individually each of them has performed on shows nationwide, but now they tour the world as a team. The World Pizza Champions™ perform and/or compete at numerous festivals, fairs, sporting events, and food shows all year long.
The World Pizza Champions also organize the World Pizza Games in Las Vegas, held at the International Pizza Expo, as well as the World Pizza Games Trials™ at the Northeast Pizza Show in Atlantic City.
