World's Largest Italian Beef Sandwich To Be Donated To Homeless

CHICAGO, IL — The Italian beef restaurant Buona announced a unique fundraiser Tuesday for the Cornerstone Community Outreach homeless shelter. On Tuesday, July 10 — the eve of the Taste of Chicago festival — volunteers from Buona and the local community will work together to construct the longest Italian beef sandwich on record, organizers said. The sandwich will be cut into individual portions that will be served alongside fruit, vegetables, desserts and beverages for the shelter’s lunch service.

The sandwich will exceed one hundred feet in length, yielding approximately 300 sandwiches, Buona said.

The restaurant chain is participating in this year’s Taste of Chicago festival from July 11–15 in Grant Park.

“We’re honored to be provide a healthy meal featuring our signature sandwich to folks who are working to build new lives for themselves and their families,” said Buona owner Joe Buonavolanto. “It’s truly our pleasure to help Cornerstone continue to make a difference in Chicago.”

Cornerstone has helped thousands of homeless families and individuals transition to permanent housing since they opened their doors in 1989. As the organization approaches its 30th anniversary, it's preparing to launch a capital campaign to supplement the support from the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services.

“We’re extremely appreciative of the support we’ve received over the years from companies like Buona,” said Cornerstone’s Executive Director Sandra Ramsey. “We’re especially thankful to the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services for expanding their support of our organization, and are grateful to Buona for bringing some attention to our upcoming capital campaign.”

Image courtesy of Buona