CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/182337
FEATURE A Making Pizza Brings Smiles BY Kelly Twedell The Army's Army and Mellow Mushroom round 20 families took over the back porch at Mellow Mushroom last month for an annual event sponsored by The Army's Army. The non- profit organization established a mentoring program called "Children of the Fallen" for those who have lost a parent in the war. That Saturday morning the team from Mellow Mushroom rolled out the red carpet for local kids and moms giving them a behind the scenes tour of the restaurant before things got cooking for their lunch guests of honor. Reid Fogleman, principal owner of Capital Food Group, gave the kids a brief history of Mellow Mushroom as they watched the experts toss up dough, spinning it into perfectly shaped pies that formed in the air. Shrieks of excitement filled the air in the back of the house as the kids piled into the frigid 39-degree storage refrigerator posing for quick selfie photos. During the event the children had the opportunity to get a photo with Mellow Mushroom's mascot, "Mel," after they created a pizza to take home. 52 | October • 2013 "This is a lot of fun, but I still miss my dad," said one 6-year-old boy, as he spread sauce over his dough. "We're thrilled to partner with The Army's Army to host such a wonderful event for the children of the fallen soldiers," said Food and Beverage Director for Mellow Mushroom, Sidney Julich. "This is such a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for the local families who have sacrificed so much by providing them with an opportunity to get out and enjoy themselves." Roxana Morales (pictured above right) was smiling as she quietly sat back from the other moms, looking across the way at her 12-year-old daughter pressing out pizza dough and chattering away with other kids her age during the interactive cooking class. The local Fort Bragg widow opened up about why she opted to stay in Fayetteville following the death of her husband in 2003. "I stayed because of the support network here and the activities are nice," said Roxana. "It's a big help for my daughter to come to things like this and interact with others who might be feeling