Cinnaminson Diner To Donate MacBook Pro To High School Senior

CINNAMINSON, NJ — The Cinnaminson Diner has formed a new nonprofit to support members of the community, and they are starting with local students.

The Cinnaminson Diner Foundation is funded by the diner and by Westampton-based Pepperoni’s Pizza, according to an announcement posted on the diner’s Facebook page.

Its first act will be to donate a new MacBook Pro to a high school senior who will graduate in June and attend any college or trade school, Cinnaminson Diner owners and brothers Ogun and Emre Karagoz said in the announcement.

To qualify, the student must be from Cinnaminson or a neighboring community. Participants will submit an essay on why small businesses are important to local communities and the economy.

The deadline to submit essays is May 15, and only the first 150 essays submitted will be considered. Each essay will be read, and a winner will be selected and announced at the end of the school year.

Essays should be sent to the Cinnaminson Diner, 1202 RT 130 North, Cinnaminson NJ 08077. Entries must include the name of the student’s high school and the college or trade school they intend to attend.

“Thank you for all your support throughout the years and good luck to the submissions,” the owners said in the post. “Our goal one day is to be able to not just donate one but hundreds of computers and many more things to help our community and the future of community.”

The Cinnaminson Diner and Pepperoni’s Pizza are one entity behind the scenes, and intend to announce something similar in Westampton soon, Ogun Karagoz said in the post’s comments section.

Residents thanked the diner’s owners in the comments section, saying they are amazing and a great part of the community.

“Amazingly generous,” one commenter wrote. “You all are a blessing to the community and a testimony that generosity, caring, and goodwill still exist in this crazy world.”

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact Anthony.Bellano@patch.com.