‘Baseball for Babbo’ aids Magowitz Foundation, HonorHealth research
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Babbo Italian Eatery is hosting its third annual Baseball for Babbo Day of Giving event on Feb. 29.
All eight Valley Babbo Italian Eatery locations will donate 100% of profits made that day to the Seena Magowitz Foundation, to fund pancreatic cancer research at HonorHealth Research Institute, according to a press release.
In addition, Babbo and Roger E. Magowitz, the founder and CEO of the Seena Magowitz Foundation, will each match funds raised up to $50,000, the release states.
This event is foremost a loving tribute to the founder of Babbo Italian Eatery, the late Ken Pollack. Ken was a passionate baseball fan who lost his battle to pancreatic cancer in late 2022. Babbo means ‘daddy’ in Italian and Ken was that leading figure to his staff and loved ones.
“My dad lived by the philosophy, ‘If you give you will get, and if you get you should give,’” said Ken’s daughter and Marketing Director of Babbo Italian Eatery Taylor Schultz. “Babbo’s annual Day of Giving is one way we choose to honor his legacy and live by this shared value.”
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths with an increasing five-year survival rate of 13%. The Seena Magowitz Foundation aims to eliminate pancreatic cancer, maximize awareness, and extend the quality of life for pancreatic cancer patients, the release states.
“In the battle against pancreatic cancer, every step forward is a triumph,” Mr. Magowitz said. “In our quest for a cure, we stand united with Babbo Italian Eatery and the local community to rewrite the narrative of this aggressive illness.”
Babbo and The Seena Magowitz Foundation will also be hosting an event Feb. 29 for pancreatic cancer patients, caregivers, and the medical staff at HonorHealth Research Institute.