AEG’s L.A. LIVE and Pizza City Fest reinforced their commitment to workforce development and community investment by donating $10,000 to the Culinary Careers Program (C•CAP) during the Fourth Annual Pizza City Fest, held April 25–26 atop the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE.
The donation supports C•CAP’s mission to prepare underserved high school students and adults for careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. As part of the festival, students from the program worked side-by-side with professional pizzaiolos, gaining hands-on experience assisting chefs and serving thousands of slices to nearly 5,000 attendees over the two-day event.
Pizza City Fest, featured 40 Southern California pizzerias showcasing a wide range of styles—including Chicago Tavern-style, New York-style, Detroit, Grandma Pie, and Neapolitan—along with live demonstrations, panel discussions, entertainment, and interactive competitions. Beyond celebrating pizza culture, the festival created a meaningful bridge between education and employment.
Since expanding to Los Angeles in 2023, Pizza City Fest has partnered with C•CAP, which serves more than 25,000 students and adults annually through culinary training, job readiness programs, apprenticeships, and mentorship, while awarding over $2.5 million in scholarships each year.
“C•CAP has been our charitable partner since day one,” said Steve Dolinsky, founder of Pizza City Fest. “Watching students build skills, confidence, and professional connections, sometimes even receiving job offers on the spot, is incredibly rewarding. Establishing a dedicated L.A. LIVE Pizza City Fest scholarship is another way we’re investing in the future of this community.”
AEG’s contribution was presented during the festival on Saturday, April 25, with support from the Los Angeles Kings Ice Crew and mascot Bailey, underscoring AEG’s broader commitment to youth opportunity, education, and career pathways across Los Angeles.
“I came up through the hospitality and culinary world, so I know firsthand how transformational the right opportunity can be,” said Andrew Simon, General Manager of L.A. LIVE. “Supporting C•CAP through Pizza City Fest is about opening doors, believing in potential, and empowering the next generation of culinary professionals.”
Through partnerships like Pizza City Fest, AEG and L.A. LIVE continue to leverage major cultural events as platforms for community impact, workforce development, and economic mobility, creating experiences that nourish both the city’s culture and its future talent.
