Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza, 14 S. Court St., hosted an event Tuesday as an awareness day for sexual assault in Athens.
Lotsa partnered with the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, or SAOP, for the event. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 50 percent of all sales would go to SAOP.
“We know that one way to prevent and respond to sexual violence is to educate our communities about this issue and the resources available to support survivors,” Jennifer Seifert, administrative director of SAOP, said in a news release. “The Day of Awareness event aims to accomplish this goal — to raise awareness about sexual violence in our community.”
Local businesses, such as Brenen’s Coffee Cafe, Bagel Street Deli and Jackie O’s Public House and Brewpub, donated items to be raffled. All of the raffle sales will be donated to SAOP.
Seifert said SAOP’s goal was to raise the community’s awareness of all the resources available for both responding to sexual violence and preventing it.
SAOP tabled outside Lotsa throughout the entire event with information about the different groups available to Ohio University students and Athens residents. There was information for local and statewide sexual assault survivor groups, such as the Survivor Advocacy Program, People’s Justice League, Bravo and others.
Lotsa reached out to SAOP after the recent sexual assaults and wanted to raise awareness about issues to students as well as let people know that the restaurant is a safe place for people to go on nights out.
Dom Augustin, a junior studying psychology and sociology, thought the event was helpful so people know the resources that are available.
“I think it’s a pretty good idea,” Augustin said.
Anthony DiGangi, chief operating officer of Lotsa, said safety was the reason the founder started the company.
“We wanted to step forward and help in any way we can,” DiGangi said.
Lotsa is meant to be a place that is open after the bars close where people can meet up, eat, get water and walk home with a friend. Employees are also able to walk people home if needed, DiGangi said.
The restaurant gives out free bottles of water Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and is open until 3 a.m.
“It’s not just the money we are donating,” DiGangi said. “It’s a space for people to come and learn more about the program.”
