Pizza really is a food that brings people together.

Josie Pfleger, a fourth-grade student at the Lehighton Elementary Center, would attest to that.

Recently, Josie, 9, of Lehighton, scarfed down her favorite pizza from Mario’s Pizza in Weissport, thanks to a project that connects the youth of Lehighton with local businesses in the community.

Josephine Lo-Cricchio, who co-owns Mario’s Pizza, along with her husband, Sal, said Josie sent them a letter as a school project of how much she loved their pizza and requested they make a special one.

Josie said she chose Mario’s because it’s her family’s favorite place to eat pizza.

“Because I love their pizza and their food and I’ve been a customer for five years now,” Josie said. She suggested goat cheese, sweet peppers, and onions as part of a stuffed crust with pepperoni inside.

“Those are all my favorite toppings, and it would make me very happy, and I don’t think any other pizza place has those toppings, especially goat cheese.”

Lo-Cricchio said they were able to discover Josie on Facebook through her teacher, Christina Haupt, a fourth-grade teacher at the Lehighton Elementary Center.

“We posted the letter that we received from Josie on Facebook,” Lo-Cricchio said. “We asked if anyone knew who she was and how we could get in contact with her teacher or parents.

Haupt answered and put them in touch with the family.

Lo-Cricchio said that no more than three days later, Josie came in with her mom, and they gave Josie her own personal pizza just as she requested, with goat cheese, sweet peppers and onions on a pepperoni stuffed crust.

“It was very particular,” Lo-Cricchio said. “The little girl was absolutely over the moon.

We had an outpouring amount of love from customers.”

Josie said she makes that recipe at home with her family when it is homemade pizza night, and thought it would make a good menu option for Mario’s.

The project

Haupt has been teaching in the district since 2012.

“Each year, I’ve had my fourth-grade classes write a business letter so that they can see the difference between the friendly letter we write earlier in the year, and the style/format of a traditional business letter,” Haupt said. “I know many people don’t write letters anymore, but as I explained to the students, if you were sending a formal business email, you’d really want to follow the same format.”

Haupt said that per the project, students are able to choose any business, local and small or corporate and are encouraged to think about “giving and getting” information through this project.

“Many students write about a question they have regarding the making of a product or like Josie, with suggestions on how to improve/create products,” she said. “Some students want to know more about why the prices of products/services are what they are, and where companies get ideas for their products.”

Haupt said students give information about themselves and their personal experience with this company. Then students dive into their questions or suggestions.

“This year marked my 20th year in education, and with the exception of two years where I taught second grade, I have done this project every single year,” she said. “Over the course of the years, students have received gift cards/certificates, promotional items, coupons so it’s really a very cool project. Many students won’t ever get a letter back, but they all get super excited when anyone receives mail.”

Haupt said, “Mario’s has taken the cake though, or should I say the pie.”

“Their response to Josie’s letter has warmed my heart, and I could not be more grateful,” she said. “They have gone above and beyond to make this business letter suggestion a reality, and the kids were absolutely amazed when I told them that the story might run in the newspaper.”

Haupt added, “It’s experiences like this that kids will remember about their time in elementary school. You can’t beat a small town community that knows how to pull together for its members,” she said. “To me, it’s the true definition of Tribe Pride, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.”