Tough Economy Affects

Even The Birthday Cake

By Shannon Hicks

For 20 years, Luigi’s Italian Pastry in Trumbull has donated a free birthday cake to one boy or girl whose photo and name ran in The Bee’s Birthday Cake column.

Each week one of The Bee’s reporters pulls the name of one child who has been listed in the column, and that child’s parents receive a call informing them that they can drive to Trumbull and pick out a cake of their choice to help celebrate the birthday. It has been an advantageous partnership for more than two decades.

Unfortunately, with the current economic climate, Luigi’s can no longer afford to donate its baked goods to as many organizations it has been generously supplying to for untold years. And so this week’s Birthday Cake will be the first where no one will win a cake from the bakery.

“It’s just the economy,” Frank DiMarco, son of Luigi’s owner Benny DiMarco, said Tuesday afternoon. “We’re trying to keep track of everything right now, just like everybody else.”

The good news is, anyone who has been contacted by The Bee and told that they have won a birthday cake may still claim their prize including last week’s winner, Allie Furtugno.

“Anyone who has won until now is fine. We keep track of the names and we will honor that,” promised Mr DiMarco, who estimated that the majority of those who are contacted about winning a birthday cake take the bakery up on that offer. “I’d say it’s got to be about 90 percent” who claim their prize, he said.

Luigi’s may not be able to provide a birthday cake any longer, but The Bee’s offering will continue. Parents can keep sending in or dropping off photos of their children with their names, birthday and age for each week’s Birthday Cake.