NYC pizza shops replace celeb photos with first responders for 9/11 anniversary

Walk into almost any pizza shop in New York City, and you’ll be welcomed by the grinning faces of some of Hollywood’s and New York’s celebrity royalty. 

For decades, iconic spots like Prince Street Pizza, Bleecker Street Pizza, Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop and others have graced their walls with the portraits of their most famous visitors—from Joe Jonas and Liam Hemsworth to Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Fallon and more.

However, this week, in honor of 9/11, pizza shops in New York will don new faces on their walls. 

Non-profit FealGood Foundation and agency Rethink launched the “Walls of Honor” campaign this week, dedicating the walls of pizzerias in New York to surviving 9/11 first responders who are still in need of medical, emotional and moral support. 

The initiative aims for customers passing through the shops to recognize these men and women’s heroic service on the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, encouraging them to read about their stories and help donate to their ongoing medical care.

A campaign video (above) demonstrates how Prince Street Pizza, Patsy’s, Juliana’s, Bleecker Street Pizza, John’s of Bleecker and Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop are temporarily displaying the images of the survivors. People can also read more about each person and their story on WallsofHonor.org.

The campaign aims to bring awareness of these survivors to everyday people who may not realize the continued health impacts of the attack, helping them understand the complications that many survivors are living with more than 20 years after the tragedy occurred. 

“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 toward a group of New Yorkers who could use it most, in a distinctly New York way,” said Gabriel Sehringer, associate creative director at Rethink. 

The campaign comes as the FealGood Foundation continues its mission of advocacy, education and continued funding of first responders and their families. Founded by John Feal, the organization has helped raise more than $10 million for first responders and advocated for hundreds of millions more in Congress. 

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