Lakewood Pizza Bake-Off Set For Feb. 27

LAKEWOOD, OH — The annual Lakewood pizza bake-off will return Feb. 27. The event, organized and hosted by the Lakewood Kiwanis Club, will help supply bicycle helmets to children throughout the city.

The pizza bake-off will be held at Lakewood High School, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Kiwanis Clubmembers Nancy Andrade and Matt Rawlings told Patch they're still determining which pizza parlors will take place in the event, but last year's bake-off featured a dozen vendors. Previous pizza bake-offs have drawn approximately 550 attendees.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Kids under 5 are free. All tickets are sold at the door and cash or credit will be accepted.

Admission pays for all-you-can eat pizza and one drink ticket. Ice cream will also be available for an additional charge.

Proceeds from the event support the First Family Project, which works to prevent head trauma in children. The group is trying to provide free bicycle helmets to as many kids in Lakewood as possible.

Some of the funding will also support youth groups at Horace, Grant and Emerson elementary schools, as well as a builders club at Harding Middle School and a tea club at Lakewood High School.

The pizza bake-off began in 2012, according to Andrade and Rawlings.

"One of our members had the idea. It was a great family event and we wanted to continue the tradition," Andrade said.

"It’s the middle of the winter, people get cabin fever. We wanted [the pizza bake-off] to be a community event and it is. People sit and talk and have some fun," Rawlings added.

The Lakewood Kiwanis Club is celebrating its 99th birthday in 2020 and the group will have additional festivities in coming months.