Thursday, October 1, 2026
“Buy pizzas for charity” sounds like a funny idea until its real-world effect sinks in. Long Island Pizza Strong recently raised $188,000 with a one-day event taking place across the Island, supporting the family of Nassau County police officer Patricia Espinosa who was killed on Jan. 31 by an alleged drunk driver.
On Feb. 25, more than 300 pizzerias and restaurants in Nassau and Suffolk united to donate $5 for every pizza sold that day. More than 33,000 pizza pies, plus additional direct donations, led to the largest fundraiser in the organization’s three-year history.
“We dedicate and risk our lives for the communities we serve,” said Tommy Shevlin, president of the Nassau County PBA. “We don’t ask for much in return, but when tragedy happens to one of our own, to see how the community responded and supported us was truly remarkable and amazing. We’re so thankful and humbled by the support.”
As awareness of the charity’s influence has spread over the years, more restaurants across Long Island have joined the collective, swelling from almost 150 establishments in 2023 to more than 300 this year. Long Island Pizza Strong raised over $100,000 in its first year, after the Farmingdale High School marching band bus crash. In April 2024, the charity raised just over $181,000 in memory of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller. An Oct. 2024 event raised $105,000 after the West Babylon car crash which killed two teens.
The organization performed no fundraisers in 2025 and returned to action to offer support after Espinosa’s death. “It’s so hard to put into words, because you don’t know how to feel,” said Alyssa Guidice, co-founder of Long Island Pizza Strong. “Is it super-cool that we raised $188,000? Absolutely. But then you see this poor family and it’s just like, ‘I’m not happy about this.’ No amount of money is ever going to bring her back.”
Espinosa’s family is facing an added layer of difficulty regarding her maximum pension benefits. Because the nine-year veteran was killed while en route to work, and not technically during her shift, it’s not considered a death in the line of duty and her family is ineligible to receive special line of duty death benefits. A bill is currently working its way through the New York State Senate to potentially allow an accommodation and grant the family full benefits. “It hasn’t been done a lot,” explained Shevlin, “but it has been done for first responders in the past in New York State, related to the World Trade Center. It can be done. It’s case by case. It’s a very uphill battle.”
To further support Espinosa’s family immediately following her death, the Nassau County Police Hispanic Society created a GoFundMe on behalf of her husband, NCPD officer Francisco Malaga, and their 2-year-old daughter. It is currently active and has raised nearly $315,000.
