Eat Pizza, Help Farmingdale Marching Band: 100 LI Pizzerias Unite: 'Amazing, Humbling'

FARMINGDALE, NY — For one day, at least 102 pizzerias on Long Island will be donating $5 of every pie sold to those impacted by the deadly Farmingdale High School marching band bus crash in Orange County on Sept. 21.

On Oct. 25, pizza joints will donate proceeds to the students who were injured in the crash, the families of Gina Pellettiere and Bea Ferrari, and the school for marching band equipment, said Susan Perna, a volunteer with the Long Island Pizza Strong effort.

Click here for lists of participating pizzerias in Nassau or Suffolk.

Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, and Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, were killed when the bus carrying the marching band to Greeley, Pennsylvania, for an annual band camp crashed and tumbled down a 50-foot ravine in Orange County.

Pellettiere was a single mother of a 2-year-old boy and the Farmingdale band director. Ferrari was a retired teacher who chaperoned the band camp trip each year.

Perna said many students on the bus that crashed have medical expenses that insurance will not cover the complete cost of. But the pain goes beyond physical, she noted.

"The anguish that these poor kids are going through," Perna told Patch. "I feel so bad for them. Think about these kids now. Imagine you’re on one of these buses, and now you’re never going to want to get on a bus again. You’re going to be traumatized for life. They’re going to need therapy. I feel so bad for these kids. They’re going to be scarred for life."

Long Island Pizza Strong was organized by Alyssa Guidice from Dine-LI; Cary Rosner; Anthony Laurino from Phil’s Pizza in Syosset; and Jim Serpico from Side Hustle Bread.

Perna, Theresa Guidice and Donna Burke volunteered for the effort.

"It’s a pretty amazing and humbling feeling to see the community and pizza community come together," Serpico said. "People in the pizza business are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met in my life. At the same time, they’re some of the most giving people. It didn’t really take all that much other than to be asked for most of these pizzerias to jump on board. I think everyone really wanted to come together to support our neighbors."

Perna noted how all of Long Island banded together to support the cause — not just pizza owners in the Farmingdale area.

"I think that when the chips are down, Long Islanders support each other," she said. "I really feel that. When something like this happens; Did you see all the pictures of all the school districts who posted their band pictures and said, 'Daler Strong,' and 'We stand with Farmingdale'? That hit home for them, too. Teachers were saying to their students, 'This could have happened to any one of us.' It’s really cool that they’re really on board. Everyone’s become a big family because of this; not just Farmingdale."

Vico, an Italian restaurant in Farmingdale is donating $5 for every pie sold Oct. 24 through Oct. 31, said Joe Fortuna, a co-owner.

"It's something that really has hit home because we're in Farmingdale," Fortuna said of the tragedy. "We're happy to contribute and help."

Pellettiere and Ferrari were mourned by friends, family and former students. All of Pellettiere's students knew her as "Ms. P," and many took time to reflect on their favorite memories of her, as well as what she meant to them.

People across the community and several business owners got involved in fundraising efforts for Pellettiere's orphaned son, Joseph, and the students who suffered injuries in the crash.

Perna said the bus crash hit Farmingdale particularly hard for at least a week.

"That first week, the whole town was depressed," she said. "Even walking around, it just felt like, you knew something was wrong."

While helping those impacted by the bus crash is Long Island Pizza Strong's first mission, Serpico said there is a "good possibility" it could band together in the future in another community's time of need.

"Long Island Pizza Strong is set up to put together a response if needed," Serpico said. "Right now, we’re just focusing on making sure this initiative is successful."

Serpico said he was working with Laurino and Alyssa Guidice on a charity event for suicide awareness; their goal was to raise $5,000 to provide scholarships to two rising seniors at Farmingdale High School in 2024. They had been working on the initiative for a couple of months, when, two weeks before the date of the event, the Farmingdale marching band bus crash happened. Laurino's son, a member of the band, was on the second bus.

Before the crash, Serpico and Laurino had been talking about getting pizzaiolas together for a night of bonding and trading ideas. The group decided to get the pizzerias together to help the victims of the bus crash.

Related:

• Thank You, 'Ms. P': Honoring The Music Teacher And Her Impact On Us
• Gina Pellettiere's Rise To Farmingdale Band Director
• Remembering Gina Pellettiere: Farmingdale Band Students Share Memories
• 'Life Of The Party': Beloved Farmingdale Music Teacher Laid To Rest
• 'The Most Beautiful Soul': Farmingdale's Bea Ferrari Mourned
• Nearly $3K More Raised For 'Ms. P's' Son At 2nd Farmingdale Fundraiser
• Fundraisers For 'Ms. P's' Son, Farmingdale Students Hurt In Bus Crash
• LI Students Critically Injured In Bus Crash In 'Less Critical Care'