Robert Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, is teaming up with Bronx House Pizza’s Hammock location to host a children’s charity event on Sunday, February 25 from 11 am to 8 pm. Bronx House will be donating 100% of the day’s sales to Little Smiles, supporting their partnership with Halifax Health in Daytona Beach to aid children facing serious health challenges.
Vanilla Ice announced the all-day event during a reel that was posted to Bronx House’s Facebook page.
“Come see us on Sunday the 25th,” he said in the video. “We’re doing a charity event here for Little Smiles; it helps out the terminally ill children, and we’re going to pack this place in, man. It’s gonna be a good time, for a good cause. Come see us, we’re gonna say hello to everybody and have a really good time.”
Little Smiles has been operating in Palm Beach County and the greater southeast Florida region since 1999. The charity was launched by a local businessman named Chip Donohue who inspired his family, friends and colleagues to help him bring joy and comfort to children and their caregivers at Palm Beach Children’s Hospita. Since then, Little Smiles has expanded to work with over 30 pediatric facilities from St. Lucie to Miami-Dade County, as well as chapters in North Carolina, Western New York, and Philadelphia, that work to help children in those areas.
Vanilla Ice and Brad Beam, owner of the Bronx House Hammock location, struck up a friendship when he began coming to the Hammock Bronx House location regularly over the last several months. (So much so, that he even has a pizza named after him on the menu.) The two had several conversations, alongside Bronx House Pizza founders, Bruno DiFabio and Michael Bennici, regarding charities and came up with the idea to host this fundraiser for Little Smiles after Vanilla Ice mentioned that this particular charity was near and dear to his heart.
Beam said that the team at Little Smiles donates funds from events like this to local pediatric centers. According to Beam, Little Smiles will send the money from the Feb. 25 fundraiser to the pediatrics center at Halifax Hospital. Bronx House has also coordinated with Little Smiles to create a number people can text to donate if they are unable to attend the event. People can text “Bronx Pizza” to 44321 to donate directly to Little Smiles. A QR code is also in the works.
Both Robert Van Winkle and the owners of Little Smiles will be in attendance at the fundraiser event. The event will be held at the Bronx House Pizza’s Hammock location at 5384 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137. The restaurant opens at 12 p.m. However, the outdoor location will open with a liquor truck at 11 a.m. for early arrivals.
