Feeding Essential Healthcare Workers
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Jason Zygadlo, BBA ’02, Brunswick, Ohio, a medical sales representative who serves on the Kent State Alumni Association National Board of Directors, is teaming up with local restaurants and other alumni and friends to help raise money to provide meals for frontline workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Northeast Ohio.
He and his girlfriend, Chelsea Mikula, came up with the idea to feed essential workers and help area restaurants survive. They contacted Lago East Bank, a restaurant in Cleveland near Mikula’s work, and learned that the chef, Fabio Salerno, had already started an effort, “Essential Meals for Essential Employees,” to send food to frontline workers.
The chef was looking for donors to pay the $15 per meal cost, so Zygadlo and Mikula agreed to sponsor the first 100 meals. They also put the word out through social media for other donors and quickly met their goal of sending 500 Lago meals to essential workers.
Now Zygadlo has teamed up with David Segen, BA ’04, owner of Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders in Stow, to help boost Segen’s business, which is struggling due to the pandemic. The new goal is to send at least 300 meals to frontline workers in the Akron area through Bellacino’s, in an effort called “Feed the Frontlines.”
“We’ve already been getting donations from Golden Flashes,” Zygadlo says, noting that Chris Lee, BA ’04, is also helping with the effort.
To donate a meal visit:
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