Kingston business owner shares holiday spirit with Project Santa Slice

With Christmas drawing nearer and the weather getting colder, one Kingston business owner is embracing the spirit of giving, while also helping to address the needs of the community.

On Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, Jimmy Hassan, owner of the Pizza Pizza location at 277 Bath Road, was joined by Ted Hsu, the provincial Liberal representative for Kingston and the Islands and candidate for the upcoming 2022 provincial election. Together, the two officially launched Hassan’s latest endeavour: Project Santa Slice.

Through the project, Hassan’s restaurant will be distributing 500 slices of pizza to vulnerable members of the Kingston community throughout the week. This will be done both directly, as well as through a number of area support and service groups, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Lunch By George, Dawn House, Kingston Youth Shelter, Community Friends in Motion, shelters for women and children, and many other locations. The slices are meant to be delivered throughout the week of Christmas, Hassan said.

“This is with appreciation for all the blessings that Jimmy and his family have been bestowed with as he looks to spread the joy and cheer through this gesture of providing love and warmth,” Hsu said at the inaugural launch of the Santa Slice project.

This is certainly not the first time Hassan has delivered pizza to those in Kingston in more ways than one. Hassan also works with Lylia Essaddam of Gnome for a Home, alongside Community Friends in Motion, to have pizzas delivered weekly to a large number of those in need in Kingston. Hassan also raises funds annually for the local pediatric department at Kingston General Hospital through his Slices for Smile project, among the many other projects he’s undertaken – all of which culminated in Hassan receiving the Community Builder Award in 2019 through the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area.

“This has been a most difficult time for everyone, but especially for those that are less fortunate, in so many ways,” Hsu said.

“A ‘Slice of Love’ is one way of many ways that Jimmy Hassan would like to offer some help over this Holiday Season!”