By Tom Momberg
Uno Pizzeria of Bayside on Bell Boulevard held a fund-raising event for the Astoria-based nonprofit Reading 4 Smiles this week, pairing the release of the Dr. Seuss book “What Pet Should I Get?” with family-friendly activities, and raising just over $400..
Reading 4 Smiles, 36-12 35th Ave., is a day care and child literacy advocacy group that works with children who are behind in their reading level. In the five years since its founding, Reading 4 Smiles has grown from working with six students to now helping over 130.
Founder and CEO Yawne Robinson, who worked in charter schools for 10 years before starting the organization, has been actively looking for new space and has been reaching out to Queens communities for financial help to meet its goals.
Uno Pizzeria in Astoria, 37-11 35th Ave., has held three fund-raisers for the organization so far, raising over $6,000. But now, the restaurant chain’s marketing team is working with Reading 4 Smiles to branch out across the borough for help.
Uno works with select nonprofits and school teams on fund-raisers—which it calls “dough raisers”—donating 20 percent of a location’s sales from a night of the group’s choosing. In addition to the revenue contribution, Uno raffled off Dr. Seuss books, and had coloring events, goody bags and a dog trainer to meet with kids during Reading 4 Smiles’ event.
Uno’s marketing team said it is always looking for new community partners for similar events.
