Westside Messenger - May 2nd, 2021

PAGE 10 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - May 2, 2021
www.columbusmessenger.com
Beating cancer with humor and a pie to the face
By Linda Dillman
Staff Writer
Tony Sobony believes in taking on cancer
with pie in the face humor by helping
donors raise money through American Pie
Party fundraisers to battle the disease.
In the late 1970s, Sobony was a teacher
at Hamilton Township High School when
he asked his mentor and fellow teacher,
Carol Lowe, “What should I do? I am not
sure if I want to teach the rest of my life.
She replied, ‘Specialize in something.’”
When he went home that night and
watched “The Tonight Show’s” Johnny
Carson describe humor as often being the
extreme of something, Sobony was diagnosed
with throat cancer five years ago and
skin cancer a few months ago. Also, his
father passed away from lung cancer.
Sobony believes God planted the seed
that would become the American Pie Party.
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“A pie in the face is the extreme physical
comedy act,” said Sobony. “It is funny, therapeutic,
and sometimes magic. Cancer is
the extreme physical tragedy. It hurts in
many ways and it kills. By combining the
laughter of pies in the face and the sorrow
of cancer, unlimited amounts of money can
be raised for the war on cancer. My friend
Carol later passed away from breast cancer.
Now I am a frustrated fundraiser.”
Sobony said people have donated more
than $100,000 over the years through pie
party events where–in non-pandemic
years–individuals line up with a creamfilled
pie plate to throw at designated recipients.
“We have held pie parties at Columbus
City Hall, the Statehouse lawn, parking
lots, backyards, living rooms, churches,
schools, and restaurants,” said Sobony.
“We recruit celebrity PiePals–people who
celebrate life–to raise funds and accept a
whipped creme paper plate pie in the face
from a cancer survivor, preferably. On
National Cancer Survivor Day, the first
Sunday in June, we hold SpeedPie.
Approximately 600 pies are tossed at me in
a minute. I have accumulated over 70,000
in 40 years with notarized signatures.”
Pie parties are also held at birthday parties,
family reunions, auctions where participants
can bid for the opportunity to
throw a pie in the face, and a Human
Checkers game where whoever gets
jumped gets a pie in the face and if you get
“kinged,” you get to throw a pie at anyone.
Five years ago, American Pie Party TAG
was launched with the premise that 90 percent
of the money raised during an event
goes to a celebrity’s chosen cancer agency.
Since the pandemic hit, the organization
started promoting Virtual Pie Party TAG
to benefit children’s families who are going
through treatment.
“We direct the funds for co-pays, medications,
and supplies,” said Sobony. “With
Virtual Pie Party TAG, we ask the volunteer
to video the event and TAG another
with the tagline, ‘What’s the cure for cancer?
Tag! You Are It’ We hope the concept
goes viral.”
A fish fry benefitting the American Pie
Party is scheduled on May 5, from 11 a.m.
- 1 p.m. at River Vista Health and
Wellness, 1599 Alum Creek Drive,
Columbus. This event is sponsored by
StoryPoint Senior Living in Grove City,
River Vista, Bickford Senior Living of
Bexley, and Oasis Senior Advisors. People
can pre-order meals ($10) or donate at the
event.
For information, visit www.theamericanpieparty.org
or on Facebook at
TheAmericanPieParty.
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Messenger photo by Linda Dillman
American Pie Party organizer Tony Sobony takes a few pies to the face during a pie
party fundraiser.