Their pizza night fundraisers have been a community staple for decades. Schools and organizations select a date, and 20 percent of all pizzas purchased that day is donated to them. But the idea of feeding people in need was close to the family’s heart. So in December 2012, Barro’s teamed up with St. Mary’s Food Bank, donating 100 percent of all the stores’ entire day’s proceeds. The event’s goal is to help reduce the number of Arizonans battling hunger during the holidays. In 2014, Doran died of stomach cancer rather suddenly. The family renamed the event the Doran Barro Holiday Hunger Fight, appropriate as Doran had created it. Still held on the first Tuesday of every December, the event has raised more than $1.8 million. The year their partnership with St. Mary’s was born, another idea bloomed. Barro’s partnered with Dr. Pepper for an annual Tuition Giveaway, awarding one lucky Arizona applicant $10,000. To date, they’ve given more than $85,000. Of all the recipients, Gina remembers two especially well. “One year, the winner was a single mom, divorced with three children. She dreamed of a career in healthcare but didn’t have the funds to support her family and go to school. And then there was an amazing 18 year old who wanted to study fitness. His dream was to own a training center, but he realized he needed to begin with an education. We’re excited to watch his career growth,” she said. And the list goes on. The Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children reached out to Barro’s in 2016. Together, they brainstormed the idea of a lunch giveaway. As with St. Mary’s, Barro’s donates 100 percent of lunch proceeds over four days each June to support the foundation. The more than $140,000 they’ve raised helps families with the high cost and challenging logistics of caring for a child with cancer. The Barro’s Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway has awarded more than $85,000 to students in Arizona since 2012. Here, Bruce Barro ( middle ) presents a check at the McDowell Road Barro’s Pizza location. MAR/APR 2021 | 24 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA

Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “The foundation sends us photos and cards, all with smiling children,” Gina said. “I feel like those smiles reach out from the pictures and hug us. More importantly, they’re reminders of the good we’re able to contribute to our community.” Angelo died of Alzheimer’s Disease just six months after Doran. Last fall, Four Peaks Brewing Company honored him with Angelo’s Ale, a golden ale brewed specifically to pair with the flavors found in the Barro’s secret family recipe. As you might expect, a percentage of every pint sold is donated to the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Gina loves her family’s philanthropic tradition. But there’s one more message she thinks is important. She’s third in birth order, with two older brothers and one younger. The boys helped their parents grow the family business, and as a young woman, she worked with them all off and on. But once married, she turned her attention to raising her children. Once they were grown, she started working in the office with her mother. After Doran died, Gina jumped in with both feet, at the age of 52. “Many women still think that business ownership exists only in a man’s world,” Gina said. “I think it’s important to understand it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, how old you are, or your circumstances. I want women to know it’s never too late to follow their hearts.” After all, big hearts are in no short supply in the Barro family. To learn more, go to barrospizza.com/ barros-gives-back . We create new futures for communities around the world Out of 21,137 nonprofits in Arizona, one stands out as being committed to learning from epidemics and helping those in need — HEAL International. Since 2010, HEAL International’s work has included: • Educating and developing public health leaders at Arizona State University. • Working to eradicate HIV and AIDS in Arizona and Tanzania. • Empowering young women who have been sex trafficked. And now, HEAL International has joined the fight against the coro- navirus, including involvement in contact tracing, case histories and vaccines. An investment in HEAL International is an investment in a healthier future. Visit HEALINTERNATIONAL.org to learn more.