Park Place Pitches in With Hospital Meal Donations

April 30, 2020


Park Place Technologies is stepping up to the plate during the COVID-19 crisis.

Make that plates, as in lunch plates.

Park Place, a global leader in IT Data Center maintenance, monitoring and support is donating 300 lunches to the University Hospital Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood, Ohio today.

Turner Sports reporter Allie LaForce, daughter of Park Place Business Development Executive Wade LaForce, is working with her husband, former Indians pitcher Joe Smith, to deliver meals to hospitals locally, in Greater Cleveland, and in Houston, where Smith currently plays for the Houston Astros.

The couple collaborates with Athletes and Causes, a charitable organization that operates Project Frontline, the foundation through which LaForce and Smith provide meals to health care workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. The couple met while LaForce worked as a Cleveland Fox 8 reporter and Smith pitched for the Indians.

After Wade shared his daughter’s work with his Park Place co-workers, management quickly asked how Park Place could help. Pizzazz, based in Mayfield Village, is making the meals that will be delivered throughout April. Several members of the Gaspar family, owners of Pizzazz, work for Park Place. It’s another connection and a great way to support two Park Place families and Park Place client, University Hospitals.

“Park Place services hundreds of health care facilities around the globe, and we are witnesses to the dedication and sacrifice our heath care workers are making,” said Park Place President and CEO Chris Adams. “We want to make sure we show our appreciation and gratitude to those on the front line of this crisis.”

Allie LaForce said the donation is much needed.

“This generous gift of 300 meals says a lot about Park Place as a corporate citizen,” she said. “I hope many other area companies see this and pitch in as the pandemic wears on.”

CEO Adams said Park Place will continue to collaborate with LaForce and Smith.

“We thank Allie and Joe for their leadership and work and will stay connected to them and our local health care workers,” he said.

Donations to Project Frontline can be made here: https://www.athletesandcauses.org/project-frontline