Westmoreland County pizza shop owner thanks first responders on 9/11 with free pies

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Westmoreland County pizza shop marked 9/11 by thanking first responders. The pizza shop gave back to one local fire department that answered the call for help and went to ground zero.

Over 20 years ago, four volunteer firemen from Trafford went to New York City to help our nation in a time of need. Sean Jefairjian from a Slice of New York came by Wednesday to donate pizza and say thank to those serving our communities.

"A little pizza helps, always helps," Trafford Fire Chief Brian Lindbloom said with a smile. 

Twenty-three years ago, our country saw the worst act of terror on U.S. soil. Four men from southwestern Pennsylvania traveled to help the next day.

"They put out a call to the nation for people to come help after 9/11, so on the 12th we sent a four-person crew up to New York to assist right here from Trafford," Lindbloom said. 

A Westmoreland County pizza shop owner spent his day traveling too, delivering free pizza to fire departments and other first responders to pay tribute to their sacrifice.

"We're dropping off pizzas to first responders, this is our fifth year doing this," Jefairjian said. "As a native New Yorker, we do this as a way to give back to those who put their lives on the line every single day so that we can do what we do."

"It's a brotherhood between us and a connection to him to our department. Being a displaced New Yorker, he still has a tie to us that way. Every year we look forward to it when he comes down," said Lindbloom. 

Jefairjian says it's a way to shine positive light on such a dark day.

"This way on this day every year, instead of focusing on the negative aspects of what happened on that day, it allows us to do something that's very positive," Jefairjian said.

"This is a special occasion, an annual event that people tend to think about us, but the guys are here, the volunteers are here every day 24/7 doing it," Lindbloom said.