Lake Zurich pizza contest to aid nonprofit groups

They baked pies to benefit survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

This Sunday, Lake Zurich area pizza makers will come together again to raise dough for a new cause.

The "Best in the BurbZ Pizza Challenge" will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria at Lake Zurich High School, 300 Church St.

It was once a popular annual contest organized by the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce. It was discontinued because J.J. Twig's Pizza & Pub won the people's choice award for "best pizza" several years in a row, discouraging other area pizza places from entering.

The challenge was revived by the chamber in 2006 as a fundraiser, collecting roughly $5,000 for Hurricane Katrina survivors in Hancock, Miss., and drawing about 750 attendees.

This year's event will benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Lake Zurich, and the District 95 Educational Foundation.

"The food pantry is in desperate need of some food," said Dale Perrin, executive director of the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce, an event sponsor. "It's very dire. Their shelves are nearly bare. Not a lot of people think to donate to the food pantry this time of year."

The pantry serves about 55 families a week, mainly from Ela Township.

Items in high demand are nonperishable food items such as pasta, rice, tuna, spaghetti sauce, canned fruits and boxes of cereal. Non-edible items, such as shampoo and toothpaste, are also needed.

The District 95 Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit group independent of the school district, is relatively new and unknown and could use the funding support, Perrin said.

"They are just looking at this point for any and all funds they can gather to get a base of funds that they can draw from," Perrin said.

Participants for this year's contest, organized by High Impact Marketing, include local pizzerias such as Gino's East, Yogi's Pizza, Tortorici's, and Costco Wholesale of Lake Zurich. Culver's of Lake Zurich will offer frozen custard.

"There's no intent at this point to make it an annual event," Perrin said. "It's probably most successful to do every couple of years for a particular cause as opposed to just a fundraising event for the chamber."

Attendees will judge pizzas in several different categories. Participants are asked to bring a minimum donation of two non-perishable food items per person or donate a minimum of $5 to the foundation.

"We have no idea how many people will show up," Perrin said.