By Rick Hynum
When a baby is born prematurely, an occasion for celebration quickly turns into a medical crisis that no one saw coming. For the parents, it means cycling through unpredictable waves of shock, fear, trauma, hope and uncertainty. And for Kelly and Brian Glynn, owners of Village Idiot Pizza in Columbia, South Carolina, not just one baby’s life was at risk: Kelly had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
So let’s cut to the chase: Liam and Willow, who were born prematurely at 28 weeks via emergency caesarian, are doing just fine now, thanks to advancements made possible by the March of Dimes. And the twins have even created a pair of signature pizzas this month to prove it.
That’s just one component of Pizza for Preemies, an annual fundraising campaign at Village Idiot Pizza that began as “a small act of gratitude and hope.” It’s a textbook case of turning a frightening experience into a movement that inspires, encourages and uplifts an entire community. November 1 marked its eighth anniversary, with more than $72,000 raised for the March of Dimes so far. Pizza for Preemies will run through the end of the month at Village Idiot, a Columbia favorite known for its community spirit and New York-style pizzas.
Liam was born weighing just 2 pounds, 9 ounces, and Willow at 1 pound, 11 ounces. As Kelly Glynn told PMQ Pizza in the May 2025 issue, the twins “spent 71 days in the NICU, and over that time the research and development of lifesaving efforts for premature babies and healthy moms was very evident. We knew we wanted to support the organization that supported us.”
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The Glynns haven’t wavered in that support since then, hosting a yearly March of Dimes event that brings local parents, kids and everyone else together at Village Idiot Pizza’s two locations. “Pizza for Preemies has become almost a yearly rebirth for us, both personally and professionally,” Brian told PMQ recently. “It’s a reminder of how lucky we are, first that Kelly, Liam, and Willow were able to survive while facing overwhelming odds against them, and second, that we can leverage what we love to help others.”
“It’s also a chance to energize and inspire the staff,” Brian noted. “We get friendly competition between staff to see who can sell the most baby cutouts, which is always fun, and it’s a visual reminder to our customers since we hang them all over the restaurant. The staff meeting where we explain the campaign each year is an opportunity for the staff to see us not just as the owners but as regular people with fears and vulnerabilities who are just trying to make a positive impact in the community.”
And you don’t have to be the parent of a “preemie” to feel the impact—and the love. The family-friendly Pizza for Preemies promotions include baby-themed Music Bingo (November 4 and 5) and a November 12 team-up with local community group Cola Baby Social Club, where families drop in to decorate pizza boxes that will later be delivered to the NICU and kids get to make their own pizzas.
Additionally, Village Idiot Pizza will bring back its “Sip & Shop” event with jewelry brand Kendra Scott on Monday, November 17, which is also World Prematurity Day. Guests can shop in-store or online from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kendra Scott location in Trenholm Plaza, with 20% of each purchase donated to the March of Dimes. Everyone who shops in-person gets a free slice of pizza.
With so many kids turning up for the events at Village Idiot Pizza, the atmosphere gets pretty lively and maybe a little chaotic, but it’s the kind of joyful chaos that only children can bring. Notably absent are premature babies, however, and there’s a good reason for that, Brian explained. “We have a lot of preemie parents who come in every year to support it. Typically, preemie babies have a weakened immune system, or, as in our [kids’] case, none at all, so we do not see any babies. Not to mention NICU parents are exhausted and still freaked out for a couple of years into a preemie journey.
“I’m still amazed by the number of people who want to thank us because they, or a sibling or child or grandchild, is a preemie. I guess it makes sense because 1 in 10 babies are still born premature in this country, which is unacceptable and why we want to have this campaign of awareness and fundraising for March of Dimes.”
Meanwhile, the Glynns have debuted two specialty pizzas of the month, both created and named by the twins: Liam’s Orange Crush and Willow’s Veggie Lovers.
“Willow’s [pizza] is a traditional red sauce base with spinach, tomatoes and green peppers,” Brian said. “Willow went with this because she claims to be a vegetarian except for pork chops, her mommy’s chicken salad and the occasional corn dog! Liam’s is also a red base with ribbon-shredded pepperoni, ground beef and ham, and then topped with crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos, because why not top a pizza with Doritos?”
Why not indeed? It’s his pizza, after all.
Finally, there will be limited-edition menu offerings created throughout November, including the signature Adios Cocktail Pitcher, a purple drink inspired by the March of Dimes’ signature color.
So what does Pizza for Preemies mean to the twins who inspired—and now help promote—the campaign?
“Last year was the first year I think they started to realize exactly what P4P is about and their direct connection to it,” Brian said. “They have done news segments and appeared in our social media campaign since its inception, but last year we put them in their own Village Idiot Pizza uniforms and got them in the kitchen making their own pizzas. They had a blast, and we followed it up with a video Q&A about March of Dimes and their knowledge of their birth. They wanted to know if they went viral and were ready around June to get their new video done for this year! It’s exciting to see how their understanding grows as the campaign grows.”
Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.
