Photo Credit: Mary Brown (mbrown@colemediainc.com | marybphotography@gmail.com)
Newark does pizza parties like no other. On September 22, 2025, the Prudential Center in Newark hosted what organizers hoped would be the largest pizza party in the world, drawing together 3,595 people and thousands of slices of Papa John’s pizza, all sponsored by Disrupt Foods, a Newark-based organization. The event was the brainchild of the Disrupt Leadership Academy, a program that teaches young people everything about entrepreneurship, from marketing and advertising to planning and turning ideas into reality.
What began as a capstone project quickly grew into a citywide celebration, bringing together teens from Newark’s Boys & Girls Clubs and schools across the region. For the students, it was more than just pizza. It was a chance to showcase their creativity, teamwork, and leadership.
Photo Credit: Mary Brown (mbrown@colemediainc.com | marybphotography@gmail.com)
The Guinness World Record Newark set out to beat was 3,357 participants, achieved on January 21, 2023, at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. While Newark surpassed that mark, the title had already been claimed just days earlier, on September 12, 2025, in New Haven with 4,525 participants.
Despite not breaking the record, the event was far from disappointing. The night featured performances by local artists, a DJ, and plenty of dancing, and thousands of youthful students excited to be a part of the community. The event also raised more than $80,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Newark.
“It was 100% successful for why we put this party on, which was for our kids and our community”, said Ameer Washington, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Newark in a NJ.com article. “The academy gives our students experiences they cannot get in a classroom. Partners like Disrupt Foods and Papa Johns show them what it takes to succeed in the real world.”
Photo Credit: Mary Brown (mbrown@colemediainc.com | marybphotography@gmail.com)
The dedication of the youth, along with the support of NFL veteran Malcolm Jenkins, the City of Newark, the Papa John’s Foundation, and the Devils Youth Foundation, turned an ambitious idea into a celebration of unity, community, and leadership, once again putting Newark on the map.
Photo Credit: Mary Brown (mbrown@colemediainc.com | marybphotography@gmail.com)
