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Pizza places are an important and inextricable part of New York City’s identity. And on the walls of many of these pizzerias, locals and tourists alike have become accustomed to seeing photos of notable celebrities, athletes, and cultural icons.

As we approach the 23rd remembrance of 9/11, iconic pizzerias including Prince Street Pizza, Patsy’s Pizzeria, Juliana’s, Bleecker Street Pizza, John’s of Bleecker, and Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop are reimagining their iconic walls to showcase a different set of NYC heroes. For the week of 9/11, these pizzerias are dedicating their walls to 9/11 first responders. 

As many surviving first responders from 9/11 face ongoing medical complications due to their service at the World Trade Centre, independent creative agency Rethink has partnered up with the non-profit FealGood Foundation to activate the , collaborating with NYC pizzerias to temporarily replace celebrity photos with photos of some of the many surviving 9/11 first responders who continue to be an integral part of NYC. This initiative will allow for customers passing through the shops to not only honour these men & women’s heroic service by learning about their story, but also help donate to their ongoing medical care.

The FealGood Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the advocacy, education, and continued funding of first responders and their families. Founded by John Feal, the organisation has helped raise $10 million+ for first responders and advocated for hundreds of millions more in Congress with the help of one of its biggest supporters, Jon Stewart.

While the city annually marks the remembrance of the attack, the 23rd remembrance may not hold the same importance in the public consciousness as the 20th or 25th, for example. With that, this campaign ensures that these heroes’ stories are seen and heard in a unique NYC setting – inside pizza shops where everyday folks who may not be as aware of the continued health impacts from the attack can learn more and understand the complications that many survivors are living with.

“Anyone who’s ever been to a pizza place like John’s of Bleecker or Prince Street Pizza or Juliana’s—whether as a local or a tourist—has curiously scanned the celebrity photo wall to see who they might recognize. We wanted to redirect that curiosity and attention towards a group of New Yorkers who could use it most, in a distinctly New York way.” said Gabriel Sehringer, associate creative director, Rethink.