Domino's asked US cities if they wanted money for snowplowing. Anchorage residents said 'yes, please.'
Feb. 20—After getting a blizzard of requests from Anchorage residents, behemoth pizza company Domino's is giving the Municipality of Anchorage a $25,000 grant for snowplowing.
The carryout and delivery pizza company is giving a total of $500,000 in grants to 20 U.S. cities to support their snowplowing efforts, according to a written statement. Anchorage's grant comes in the midst of a troubled winter snowplow season that has left many city residents frustrated.
Earlier this winter, Domino's put out an open call to the public for nominations, which included emails and ZIP codes. It saw "a significant amount of nominations from Anchorage locals," according to Domino's spokeswoman Katelyn McQuillan.
Because all 20 grant offers are not out yet, McQuillan said she can't yet disclose exactly how many residents tossed Anchorage's hat in the ring, but said the city was among the top five with the most nominations.
That's not surprising for a city that's experiencing a particularly snowy and harsh 2023-24 winter season. By the end of January, Anchorage saw a record of over 104 inches of snowfall. After a series of storms earlier this winter, the city and state's plows had trouble keeping up, leading to dangerous road conditions, extended snow-related school closures, and myriad reports of damaged vehicles, among other issues. In November — the snowiest in decades — Mayor Dave Bronson declared a snow emergency.
The $25,000 grant is small in comparison to Anchorage's snow response, which costs the city several million dollars each year.
Still, it's a help, and the city has accepted the grant, according to Veronica Hoxie, spokeswoman with the mayor's office.
The international pizza company over the last few years has ramped up efforts to build up goodwill and increase publicity, including its snowplow grant program, "Plowing for Pizza." It has launched similar initiatives to give out small grants to towns and cities to patch potholes and improve roads.
"To us, nothing should stand in the way of getting a delicious pizza, including snowy, cold weather," Joe Jordan, Domino's president of U.S. and global services, said in the company's statement. "So yes — you heard it right: a pizza company is actually helping to plow roads."
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Anchorage snowplowing has also emerged as a political issue: Residents expecting a faster plow and snow removal response criticized the city and Bronson's administration, including his decision to send municipal snow removal equipment to clear state-owned roads in the city — many in abysmal condition — while many residential streets went unplowed.
Mayoral candidates opposing Bronson in the upcoming April 2 election quickly seized on the backlash, and discussion about snow management proliferated into campaign advertisements and a few tongue-in-cheek social media posts.
Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, a frequent critic of the mayor who has questioned and criticized the city's snow preparedness under Bronson, said of the Domino's grant, "Bronson can use all the help he can get."
On top of the money, Anchorage will also get a "winter-themed Domino's Plowing for Pizza kit," according to the company's statement. It includes themed items such as winter hats, scarves, a snow measuring stick and sign, and vehicle magnets, along with $200 in gift cards for plow drivers.
