Proceeds from 'Pizza Mania' to benefit former IU staffer

Dunn Meadow will feature an all-you-can-eat pizza event, called “Pizza Mania,” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.\nBut the event is more than just a friendly competition for local pizzerias looking to hook hungry students. It’s a way to help one family in immediate need and many families in constant need.\nAll proceeds from the event will be split between the Salvation Army and a former Kelley School of Business staff member Melinda Turpin, whose infant daughter has a heart defect and has accumulated more than $100,000 in medical bills, said event coordinator and sophomore Marc Uible.\nHungry students can pay $7 to eat pizza from 10 Bloomington restaurants and then vote for their favorites based on toppings, specialties and overall taste, Uible said.\n“I got tired of going to philanthropy events and leaving disappointed,” he said. “I wanted to help create an event that people would actually enjoy and want to come back year after year.”\nThe event will begin with a photo shoot with eight underprivileged children associated with the Salvation Army.\n“For us to have a student come and pitch an event like Pizza Mania – it is a great example of the type of students we have at Indiana University,” said Peter Iversen, director of the Salvation Army Community Center.\nBoth parties hope Pizza Mania will become an annual event to help kick off Little 500 week. The event will also feature local musician Robbie Gold and games of cornhole.\nUible said he and three group members have helped with planning and marketing the event for weeks.\n“We had a tough time getting ahold of people at one point,” he said, “but IUSTV and block e-mails to the greek community really helped our cause.”\nUible said he believed he could help assist the families’ immediate medical needs. But he enlisted the help of the Salvation Army to make an impact in community participation as well.\n“We took part in the event because we knew it would really help out,” Iverson said. “Marc is just doing this out of the goodness of his heart.”\nFamily members of the ailing child will be at the event, and they are appreciative of the money the event will raise.\n“I think everyone in Bloomington can identify with what the family is going through,” Uible said. “There are so many students in Kelley, and I think it is our responsibility to take care of one of our own.”