Bettendorf, IA – For the 44th consecutive year Happy Joe’s will host children with special needs from around the Quad Cities at the 2016 Quad City Holiday Party to be held Monday and Tuesday, December 5th and 6th at the iWireless Center. There will be two parties each day, 9:30 and 11:30am. Happy Joe Whitty, his faithful dog Happy, the Happy Dancers, as well as our infamous Santa will be on hand to spread holiday cheer to these children. All Quad City area Happy Joe’s stores will be participating including Bettendorf, Davenport, East Moline, Rock Island, Eldridge, Maquoketa, Galesburg, Geneseo, Moline and Rock Island.
“The holiday season is always an opportunity for us to reflect on the past and continue the tradition our father started 44 years ago,” says Kristel Whitty-Ersan, Director of Marketing. “We rely on the support of local partners like Santa (aka Mike Peppers), Pepsi, Kemps Ice Cream, numerous Quad City Optimists Clubs, DJ Jeff Pieler, and the iWireless Center, to help make this event possible. We couldn’t do it without our volunteers who generously donate their time and efforts, including city and state police volunteers, and others too numerous to mention. Thank you for helping us to make this an event to remember each year.”
Before opening his first Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor in the Village of East Davenport, founder Joe Whitty was nearly fired from another pizza chain for sponsoring a party for a group of special needs children without first checking with his boss. In 1972, on the eve his first restaurant’s opening night , he invited a local priest to bless his business and promised that if he could make enough money to feed his family, he would give something back to the community. After just a few weeks in business, people were waiting out the door. True to his word, Joe shut down the restaurant for a few hours one day a year to have a party for those less fortunate, and he has required his franchisees to do the same. Nearly 168,000 children have benefited from the parties held throughout the chain over the past 44years! As Happy Joe says, “It isn’t Christmas until I see all of those happy faces!”
All media are welcome to join us at the iWireless Center on December 5th and 6th, 9:30 and 11:30am. Pizza and ice cream are served at the beginning of the parties and then the real party begins!
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