Learning Is Awesome Sauce at Pizza Hut

By Mario Tarradell, Public Relations & Marketing Manager

An afternoon spent making pizza and barbecue sauce? Now that’s what we call yummy!

Forty-two kids from YMCA and St. Phillip’s School and Community Center made it a day of tasty fun and delicious learning on July 26, 2016 at Pizza Hut Headquarters in Plano, Texas.

The event, part of the Big Thought-managed Dallas City of Learning initiative, also gave kids the opportunity to complete the “A Better We” playlist designed by Pizza Hut and earn the accompanying badge, which was specially dubbed the “Awesome Sauce Badge.”

After a welcome ceremony, the kids got a series of motivational speeches from Pizza Hut staff, the kind of pep talks that gives them direction, lets them see a future. There is no better way to close the opportunity gap.

  • A representative from Human Resources talked about how important it is to have goals and the perseverance to reach them.
  • A representative from Marketing illuminated the path to success, and also showed the kids well-crafted television ads.
  • A representative from the Legal department got personal, telling the kids about growing up with very little and earning his dream job at one of the best companies in the food industry.
  • A representative from Corporate Training explained the importance of studying as a means to prepare for life, for the future.

Be the best you can be, as employees and as people. Enjoy your job, work hard, learn with gusto.

Lunchtime meant – what else? – pizza and chicken wings. Then came a tour of the Pizza Hut offices, and finally the kitchen. That was the anticipated moment. The master chef coached kids on making new barbecue sauces and building a pizza from scratch.

BBQ and pizza – how does it get any better? Harry LaRosiliere, the honorable Mayor of Plano, spoke about his background and how he runs the city. Talk about even more motivation.

That concluded a scrumptious day of food for the tummy and food for thought. Especially since kids walked back to their buses with goodie bags from Pizza Hut. Yummy!

We send sincere thanks to Pizza Hut for its generosity, as well as our Dallas City of Learning supporters. For a list of donors, go to www.bigthought.org/dallascityoflearning.

Photo by José Sosa/Big Thought