Every Tuesday, the Jason Taylor Foundation dedicates the day to spotlighting one of our partners, volunteers, or celebrity friends that have supported our tireless efforts toward building a brighter future for the youth of the South Florida community.
This week the Jason Taylor Foundation would like to recognize Blaze Pizza, a valued JTF partner through the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network and the inaugural Louder Than A Bomb Florida spoken word poetry festival. Blaze Pizza has been a tremendous partner of the JTF and has demonstrated their engagement by hosting “Blaze the Stage”, a series of open mic poetry nights targeting local college students. In fact, the Boca Raton Blaze Pizza is hosting their first “Blaze the Stage” tonight from 8-10pm with sign ups beginning at 7:30pm for anyone who wishes to perform. Future dates are being planned for Blaze Pizza locations in Davie and Fort Lauderdale, as well as Boca Raton.
The Blaze Pizza partnership began with interest in supporting the Jason Taylor Foundation which was consummated with $5,000 donation in support of its Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network and Louder Than A Bomb Florida 2015.
“Blaze Pizza is proud to support the Jason Taylor Foundation and the important work it is doing to reach South Florida’s youth in ways that will have a positive and lasting effect on their lives,” said Adam Cummis, president of Blaze Pizza’s South Florida franchise group. “Our donation, funded in part through sales generated during ‘Blaze the Stage’ college open mic nights held at our three South Florida restaurants, will help provide participating South Florida schools with a teaching artist and year-round, meaningful instruction inside the classroom.”
The Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network is a multi-faceted, spoken word poetry program available free to students at more than 50 elementary, middle and high schools throughout South Florida as well as at Nova Southeastern University, Broward College and Florida Atlantic University. The program provides an environment for students to focus on literacy, prevention issues and social awareness as vehicles for self-expression, both written and through performance. LTAB Florida, dubbed the “Superbowl of Poetry,” is an annual event featuring school-based poetry teams showcasing this art form through friendly competition, while providing teens from diverse backgrounds a platform to come together and find common ground.
Blaze Pizza has three South Florida locations — Davie, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton — and is coming soon to Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. For more information, please visit blazepizza.com and facebook.com/blazepizza.
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About Blaze Pizza
The first Blaze Pizza® restaurant opened on Aug. 6, 2012, in Irvine, Calif., and quickly gained attention for its chef-driven recipes, thoughtful interior design, and a service culture that celebrates individuality. Now ranked as the overall #2 fast-casual brand in FastCasual.com’s annual Top 100 list, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates approximately 91 restaurants in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington D.C. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis. For more information, please visit blazepizza.com and facebook.com/blazepizza.
