Mara Northey, a 10-year-old from North Phoenix, Arizona, won free pizza for a year through Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen’s Nice List Holiday Kindness Challenge. She celebrated her big win briefly (with her favorite Spinato’s pizza—half cheese and half sausage), but she’s currently laser-focused on collecting shoes for the homeless.
Mara’s goal is helping Trevor’s Vision, an Anthem, Arizona-based nonprofit that provides meals, clothing and other needed human services to homeless adults in Phoenix.
The Spinato’s pizza win happened after Mara’s parents, Kelli and Bryan Northey, nominated her for the Spinato’s Nice List Holiday Kindness Challenge, which was part of a campaign to help promote Amazon MGM Studios’ Red One movie. Spinato’s collaborated with Frost Communications, a local film and entertainment agency, on the unique promotion last month.
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In addition to the Nice List contest, the campaign included a Surprise & Delight Kindness Campaign, powered by Spinato’s “elf interns,” and a North Pole News broadcast.
Despite Mara’s young age, she has already developed three passions: homelessness, hunger and helping out. She began volunteering when she was just 2½ years old, making cards for veterans and assisting with Adopt-a-Family toy drives. She’s so active in community service that she earned a bronze President’s Volunteer Service Award—twice. “Mara is always looking for ways to make the community better,” her mom, Kelli, says. “Her heart is huge, and she is happiest when she’s giving back.”
Jaime Spinato, Spinato’s brand manager and director of community outreach, was moved when she read about Mara’s service-minded heart. Knowing how acts of kindness can go a long way to make a difference in people’s lives, she wanted to reward the youngster.
“We received so many heartwarming stories for the Nice List Holiday Kindness Challenge, but Mara’s story really stood out,” Spinato says. “We were so impressed with how motivated she is. She thinks outside of the box and is hyper-focused on her local community. And, while she is young, she is already a strong leader. It’s clear that she has a very bright future.”
When Jaime Spinato presented Mara and her parents with the grand prize of free pizza for a year, she also shared with Mara that Spinato’s is stepping up to help her meet her goal of donating 250 comfortable, new shoes for Trevor’s Vision’s holiday event on December 19. Spinato’s will donate $1,500 worth of new shoes toward Mara’s goal, and the company will join her at the event, which takes place at a church in central Phoenix. In addition, Spinato’s will provide pizza for 250 attendees and volunteers.
Mara says she has been a big fan of Spinato’s Pizzeria her entire life. The fifth grader, who aspires to be a food scientist when she grows up, even donned a Spinato’s onesie when she was a baby. “We go to Spinato’s almost weekly after my ice skating and competitive dance classes, and their pizza is so delicious,” she says. “It’s amazing to win pizza for a year, and we are very grateful for Spinato’s support with my shoe drive. I believe it’s important to give others hope, especially when they are struggling. It’s also important to be kind to others, even when you don’t know them. A little generosity can change someone’s life.”
Jeff Kistler and his wife, Dawn, co-founded Trevor’s Vision with the goal of changing the world for the better through acts of kindness and generosity. The 501(c)3 charity consists of all volunteers. Over the past 15 years, they have seen an increase in the amount of people needing their support. “When we started Trevor’s Vision, we provided meals, but our services have evolved to be much more than that,” Jeff says. “We want to bring people to the table, get to know them, and find out how we can help them get off the streets.”
Dawn adds that mental health challenges play a big part in homelessness, even more so than rising rent costs. She said that people like Mara make a tremendous difference in helping their nonprofit serve others. “We are Mara’s biggest cheerleaders,” she says. “Because of her shoe drive, we will have the time and money to purchase backpacks and other items for those we serve. And if she exceeds her goal of 250 comfortable, new shoes, we’ll save the extra shoes for our summer event.”
Celebrating 50 years in 2024, Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen opened its first location in Scottsdale in 1974 with the mission of serving authentic Italian cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere. Best known for its Chicago-style pizza, the family-owned restaurant has expanded its menu to include sandwiches, pastas, calzones, salads and gluten-free options. Today, Spinato’s serves guests at six locations and is the official pizza of the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, serving menu items at State Farm Stadium in Glendale and Footprint Center in Phoenix.
