DAVENPORT, IOWA (November 21, 2022) — Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream, in conjunction with the Happy Joe’s Kids Foundation, is bringing back its annual holiday parties for special needs children after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Happy Joe’s CEO and Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco wants this experience to be available to every child in the company’s home base of the Quad Cities, as well as throughout all Happy Joe’s locations. Many franchisees host their own individual parties for their special-needs communities.
The iconic Midwestern pizza brand is proud to announce that it will once again host their epic parties specifically for special-needs children this holiday season. Sacco and the Happy Joe’s team will feed and entertain these very special guests along with their teachers, parents and caregivers at 9:30 and 11:30AM on Tuesday, December 6, and Wednesday, December 7, at Vibrant Arena, located at 1201 River Dr., in Moline, Illinois.
“The holiday season is the most important time of year to give back, and nobody deserves to have a more festive time than children with special needs,” Sacco said. “Happy Joe’s strives to be the top choice for great food and a fun time together. These parties have been designed to ensure these wonderful children feel appreciated and included in our community. We’ve been told that for many of these kids this is the highlight of their holidays, and their teachers and parents are thrilled these parties are making a comeback!”
Happy Joe’s holiday parties started back in 1972 when founder Happy Joe Whitty made a commitment to ensure all families with specials needs children felt welcomed at Happy Joe’s. Since then, aside from the two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Happy Joe’s has never missed a year hosting these very special events.
Happy Joe’s will provide free pizza, ice cream, and soft drinks for all party attendees. There will be performances from Happy the Dog, the Happy Joe’s hip-hop dance team, and a visit from everyone’s favorite jolly old elf, Santa Claus. Santa will deliver a message and be available for photos with the children, with each of them receiving a special gift upon their departure.
Kate Holsen, a Moline resident with Down’s syndrome, will kickoff the festivities by singing the national anthem. Holsen, an advocate for people with special needs, is a board member for Gigi’s Playhouse Quad Cities — an organization that supports children with special needs, particularly Down’s syndrome — and a longtime supporter of Happy Joe’s holiday parties for special needs children.
“This is one of our favorite events to host each year and we’re happy to have it back and plan on making it better than ever,” Sacco said.
Reservations are required to attend and can be made by contacting mikenna.culp@yahoo.com by November 28. All attendees are asked to include the name of the family, school, or organization attending, the number of children attending, and the date and time of the party they wish to attend. For any additional details about these parties, or to volunteer, contact Kristel Ersan at kristele@happyjoes.com.
To learn more about Happy Joe’s, visit HappyJoes.com. For interest in Happy Joe’s franchising opportunities, email Kat Davidson at KatD@drhnow.com or call 678.485.8413.
About Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream
Founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty in Davenport, Iowa, Happy Joe’s dream was to create a restaurant concept that focused on serving America’s two favorite foods — pizza and ice cream — in a family-friendly, celebratory environment. Owned and operated by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc, Happy Joe’s has been named a FastCasual “Top 200” concept, Franchise Times“Top 400” business, and Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 500” restaurant. The family-centric pizza brand has eight company and 34 franchise locations throughout the Midwest with more in the pipeline. To learn more, visit HappyJoes.com or follow Happy Joe’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
