Goodfellows had impact on local business owner

For Randy Scalf, owner of both Little Caesars pizza restaurants in Owensboro, the Goodfellows Club’s annual Christmas party has always held a special place in his heart.

Growing up, Scalf, 48, said it was “almost a tradition that on every Christmas Eve” that he would make his way to the Owensboro Sportscenter to take part in the fun as a kid.

“We would sit in the bleachers, and we would watch some cartoon they would show,” he said, “and then they would let you come down and they would give you … a bag of candy and you would be able to pick a gift off the table.

“(They were) special memories I had whenever I was a kid.”

The annual celebration also coincided with a personal observance.

“Christmas Eve was also Mom’s birthday,” he said. “My mom was a single mother, and she raised over six of us kids, so you could imagine, at any age, how hard that would be — especially today.”

While Scalf said that he hasn’t attended the party in recent years, he knows that the event and the Goodfellows Club serve an important purpose.

“I know it’s for a very good cause, and what excitement it brings to some of those kids’ faces,” he said. “I’m sure it’s still great.”

In his role as a business owner, Scalf looks for ways to be just as charitable, such as giving back to employees and having Little Caesars be a sponsor for local nonprofit Beverly’s Hearty Slice, which feeds the hungry in Owensboro every other Friday night.

Scalf sees the importance and influence of giving back.

“I always have memories of things that have been done nice for me, and hopefully I can bring back and give it in some way,” he said.

Contributions to the Goodfellows Club can be mailed to or dropped off at the newspaper office, 1401 Frederica St. Owensboro, Ky, 42301. Donations can also be made online at goodfellowsclubofowensboro.org/donate.