Happy Joes brings back very special parties at arena

Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, in conjunction with the Happy Joe’s Kids Foundation, is bringing back its annual holiday parties for special needs children on Dec. 7 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. 

Happy Joe’s CEO and Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco wants this experience to be available to every child in the company’s home base of the Quad Cities, as well as throughout all Happy Joe’s locations, according to a Tuesday company release. Many franchisees host their own individual parties for their special-needs communities.

The iconic Midwestern pizza brand is proud to announce that it will once again host their epic parties specifically for special needs children this holiday season. Sacco and the Happy Joe’s team will feed and entertain these very special guests along with their teachers, parents and caregivers at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Vibrant Arena, 1201 River Dr., in Moline.

“The holiday season is the most important time of year to give back, and nobody deserves to have a more festive time than children with special needs,” Sacco said in the release. “Happy Joe’s strives to be the top choice for great food and a fun time together. These parties have been designed to ensure these wonderful children feel appreciated and included in our community.

“We’ve been told that for many of these kids this is the highlight of their holidays, and their teachers and parents are thrilled these parties are making a comeback!”

Happy Joe’s holiday parties started back in 1972 when founder Happy Joe Whitty made a commitment to ensure all families with specials needs children felt welcomed at Happy Joe’s. Since then, aside from the two-year cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, Happy Joe’s has never missed a year hosting these events.

Happy Joe’s will provide free pizza, ice cream and soft drinks for all party attendees. There will be performances from Happy the Dog, the Happy Joe’s hip-hop dance team and a visit from everyone’s favorite jolly old elf, Santa Claus. Santa will deliver a message and be available for photos with the children, with each of them receiving a special gift upon their departure.

Kate Holsen, a Moline resident with Down’s syndrome, will kickoff the festivities by singing the national anthem. Holsen, an advocate for people with special needs, is a board member for Gigi’s Playhouse Quad Cities – an organization that supports children with special needs, particularly Down’s syndrome – and a longtime supporter of Happy Joe’s holiday parties for special needs children.

“This is one of our favorite events to host each year and we’re happy to have it back and plan on making it better than ever,” Sacco said.

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