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A man battling cancer gave away his free pizza prize — and got more pizza in return.
'Life gave me pizza, so I made peace.'
12.27.16
For a fleeting moment leaving the chemotherapy treatment center, Josh Katrick forgot about the year he'd been having.
He'd just gotten an email telling him that — out of roughly 1,200 names — his was the one randomly selected from a raffle at Mario's Pizza in Northampton, Pennsylvania. A lot of free pizza was coming his way.
The family-owned local hot spot had held a promotion giving away two large pizzas and one two-liter beverage every month throughout 2017.
<p><strong>"I remember coming out of [the chemo treatment center] thinking, 'I just won pizzas for a year!'</strong>" Katrick told <a href="http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/northampton-man-receives-pizza-for-a-year/227505390" target="_blank">WFMZ-TV 69 News</a> of that moment in early December. "'That's cool!'"</p><div><div class="push-wrapper--mobile" data-card="image" data-reactroot=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUyNDk3OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NzYzNzYwNn0.LE_dgvrqektTQjUMwhJUxEcee5dOmphDkaJsqUG_L64/img.jpg?width=980" id="21d29" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="048b9fbbf008985ac43670d641c57540" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><div class="image-caption"><p>Photo via Mario's Pizza, used with permission. </p></div></div></div><h2>For Katrick, the news came amid quite a surreal few months.</h2><p>The 36-year-old learned he has colon cancer in July. He had surgery in August and has since completed seven of 12 rounds of chemotherapy, <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Local-Cancer-Survivor-Pays-It-Forward-After-Winning-Competition-at-Local-Pizza-Shop_Philadelphia-408368756.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand" target="_blank">NBC 10 News</a> reported.</p><div><div class="push-wrapper--mobile" data-card="image" data-reactroot=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUyNDk4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjM5OTkzOH0.NWAlqQugmn0Tg8Qr1TFhRb5PmWSK5lH3qj8o4Epgn8I/img.jpg?width=980" id="4db6d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b915f677d3f60dacc5d5163b355649da" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><div class="image-caption"><p>Photo via Mario's Pizza, used with permission. </p></div></div></div><p><strong>"It’s been a fast time," he told the outlet. "It still feels like the blink of an eye."</strong></p><p>Most people would argue a guy like Katrick is <em>more</em> than deserving of a few free slices considering what he's been through lately. </p><p>Katrick, however, had other plans in mind.</p><h2>Katrick asked Mario's — his favorite pizza joint in town — if his free pizza could be given to the <a href="http://www.northamptonareafoodbank.org/index.html" target="_blank">Northampton Area Food Bank</a> instead. </h2><p>"I've been getting so much from family, friends — people I don't even know well — the last few months," he explained to <a href="http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/northampton-man-receives-pizza-for-a-year/227505390" target="_blank">WFMZ</a>, that he didn't think a year's worth of free pizza should be spent on him.</p><div><div class="push-wrapper--mobile" data-card="image" data-reactroot=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUyNDk4MS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NTYzNzQ4OH0.E8HoLJE7ZkH3T3vLWedp9LCEDCB4_Jy4SOlvbun2Iyg/img.gif?width=980" id="cb9a4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="535485da93bf1f18fe5601dc6f411625" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><div class="image-caption"><p>GIF via WFMZ.</p></div></div></div><h2>At first, Frank Grigoli, a manager and co-owner's son at Mario's, didn't know what to make of the request.</h2><p>Before he knew Katrick wanted the pizza to be given to the food bank, Grigoli was a bit befuddled. Mario's has been in business 37 years, after all, and quality is baked into every bite — why would someone <em>pass</em> on a delicious free lunch?</p><p><strong>After learning it was about helping Northampton's most vulnerable people, however, Grigoli says Katrick's request brought "tears of joy." "This guy has a big heart," he said. </strong></p><p>Still, something was bothering him. "That night, I went to sleep and something didn’t feel right," Grigoli admits. The next day, he decided, "we’re gonna give [Katrick] a gift.”</p><div><div class="push-wrapper--mobile" data-card="image" data-reactroot=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUyNDk4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDgzMTMyNX0.P_iuDjq6Fre9AQzNNXO_8cQcxDD3RUXI5mzikHPuKcQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="655c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dbd49d789fafc60ae79b8232800c6295" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><div class="image-caption"><p>Photo via Mario's Pizza, used with permission. </p></div></div></div><h2>Inspired by Katrick's selfless deed, Mario's decided to give both Katrick <em>and</em> the food bank a free year of pizza.</h2><p><strong>"<a href="http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/northampton-man-receives-pizza-for-a-year/227505390" target="_blank">It's better to give than receive</a>," </strong>said<strong> </strong>Giuseppe Aiello, whose father, Giovanni, co-owns the restaurant. "Especially during this time of year — Christmas — it's a great time to think about that and see examples of it around town."</p><p>The food bank can choose between having either the same deal Katrick won or throwing a pizza party with the entire year's worth of food and drinks — 24 large pizzas complemented with 12 two-liters — all at once, Grigoli tells Upworthy. <strong>So all in all, Mario's is giving away 48 pies to very deserving recipients next year.</strong></p><div><div class="push-wrapper--mobile" data-card="image" data-reactroot=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTUyNDk4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjU4NzE4Nn0.XcpXX9wbXYJ7B1zjWaTfM8KD7il-IqNrqNUsF9RVvdY/img.jpg?width=980" id="254f3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8ee25e78dfbedd8cea14ef3f8bf4c7b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><div class="image-caption"><p>Photo via Mario's Pizza, used with permission. </p></div></div></div><h2>Free pizzas aside, things are looking good for Katrick in 2017. </h2><p>Feeling better with the holidays here, and more than halfway through his chemo treatments, <strong>Katrick is <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Local-Cancer-Survivor-Pays-It-Forward-After-Winning-Competition-at-Local-Pizza-Shop_Philadelphia-408368756.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand" target="_blank">expected to make a full recovery</a></strong>, according to <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Local-Cancer-Survivor-Pays-It-Forward-After-Winning-Competition-at-Local-Pizza-Shop_Philadelphia-408368756.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand" target="_blank">NBC 10 News</a>. </p><p>Regardless of his prognosis, though, Katrick is someone who <em>always</em> wants to see the glass as half-full.</p><p>“The old attitude of, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," he said. "Life gave me pizza, <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Local-Cancer-Survivor-Pays-It-Forward-After-Winning-Competition-at-Local-Pizza-Shop_Philadelphia-408368756.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand" target="_blank">so I made peace</a>.”</p><h2>Watch <a href="http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/northampton-man-receives-pizza-for-a-year/227505390" target="_blank">WFMZ-TV 69 News</a>' report on Katrick's story below:</h2><div><div data-card="youtube" data-reactroot=""><div><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7936d89d2345587a39f046380817f4f7"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uwbZlhNz04U?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></div></div></div>
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