School children raised a whole lot of dough to make dreams come true for terminally ill youngsters.
Pupils from the reception class at Ysgol Penycae were treated to a tasty pizza making masterclass at the Frankie and Benny’s restaurant at Eagles Meadow shopping centre, in Wrexham, with the £150 raised going to the Rays of Sunshine charity.
After a demonstration, they designed their own pizzas, chose toppings for them, and made them.
The Frankie and Benny’s chain was established in America in 1953 and opened its first UK branch in Leicester in 1995.
They serve New York Italian dishes including pizza, all with a backdrop of classic 1950s American swing music and period memorabilia.
The pizza making session was organised to celebrate the completion of the Family Learning Project at the school, where the children learned about food, where it comes from, and how it is made.
Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity was formed in 2003 to brighten the lives of children between the ages of three and 18 who are living with serious or life-limiting illnesses. The charity does this by granting wishes and organising fun days out.
Ysgol Penycae pupil Ellie Swift, five, had a great time.
She said: “I put mushrooms and sweetcorn and lots of cheese on my pizza. Sweetcorn is my favourite food.”
Her mum Patsy Swift, 27, added: “It’s a great way to get the children to think about what they eat.
Debra Roberts, who teaches the reception class at Ysgol Penycae, is delighted with how the Family Learning Project went.
She said: “We went on a visit to a supermarket where the children tried different food and leaned where it came from.
“It’s about encouraging healthy eating. We got the parents involved and there was a 90 per cent attendance from them which is brilliant.
“We also support a food co-op at the school.
“The children are enjoying making the pizzas today. The money from this is going to Rays of Sunshine which is great.”
Jane Roberts, 35, from Penycae, whose daughter Ruby Reed, 4, took part in the pizza making lesson at Frankie and Benny’s at Eagles Meadow, said: “Ruby’s been looking forward to this for a while. She likes to make things and to have a say in what she’s eating so this is perfect for her really.
“The children got to learn about food and where it comes from. It’s exciting for the kids to come to Frankie and Benny’s at Eagles Meadow.
“It’s great that the money is going to Rays of Sunshine because doing anything to help children is fantastic.”
Peter Cross, the manager of Frankie and Benny’s at Eagles Meadow, put on the masterclass for the youngsters.
“Learning about food is an important life skill. We teach them where the food comes from, how it is made, and about hygiene. It’s important that we make it fun as well.
“We’ve been doing a lot of different things over the year to raise money for Rays of Sunshine and we’re up to £1,000. We’ve been doing things like charity breakfast mornings, raffles, fancy dress days, and sweepstakes. Our aim is to raise £3,000 by the end of the year.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchely, added: “I think the pizza making class to raise money for Rays of Sunshine is an absolutely fantastic idea.
“The fact that this is raising money for make dreams come true for terminally ill children makes it really worthwhile.
“It looks like the children have had a great time and the pizzas they made look delicious. I’m a big fan of the pepperoni pizza myself. I usually go for that or a Hawaiian.”
For more information about Rays of Sunshine visit www.raysofsunshine.org.uk
