Del Ray Pizzeria Dinner Raises More Than $10,000

Del Ray Pizzeria’s Nov. 26 benefit dinner for the slain family member of two dishwashers raised more than $10,000, according to Don Rockwell.

Claudia Yaneth Membreño Gomez, daughter of pizzeria dishwasher Enma Gomez and sister to dishwasher Elder Gomez, was gunned down in her home in Honduras while serving dinner to her four children, according to Tegucigalpa newspaper El Heraldo. The children are now staying with family in Alexandria.

Chef Eric Reid prepared a special $40 menu for two dinner seatings in the restaurant’s upstairs on Nov. 26, with proceeds going to benefit the Gomez family and a charity aimed at raising awareness and halting violence in Honduras and Central America.

The pizzeria also contributed 80 percent of all Nov. 26 proceeds in the restaurant to the Gomez family.

“Thank you everyone,” Reid wrote on Don Rockwell on Thanksgiving morning. “Grand total we were able to raise over $10,000 dollars! I type this with tears in my eyes from the generosity of this community. Thank you to all who donated. Thank you to all came in.”

Reid donated his entire Nov. 26 salary and the servers and bartenders agreed to give up 100 percent of their tips on the evening to benefit the family.

Those unable to attend were also able to make donations through Don Rockwell.