Pizza boxes earn Wright State student a party

Imagine more than 100 pizza boxes stacked from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. That massive stack of cardboard boxes earned a Wright State University student a free pizza party.

With the help of some friends, Wright State freshman Mike Nickels accumulated 131 boxes, more than $1,700 of Donatos Pizza since fall quarter. Nickels and his friends started collecting the boxes about seven months ago. The boxes took up the majority of the space in an honors dorm bathroom.

Nickels sent a picture of the collected pizza boxes to Donatos corporate office — which resulted in a free party that took place in the Wright State Honors dorms on May 17.

“Some people collect beer bottles, some collect pop cans — he (Nickels) collected pizza boxes,” said Gary Thornton, district supervisor of Donatos Pizza. “We thought as an appreciation for all the times he had ordered from us, that we would throw a party for him and his friends.”

With one box constantly being placed on top of another, Nickels and his roommates said it was sometimes challenging getting in and out of the shower without being covered in an avalanche of Donatos logos. The pile of boxes started midway through fall quarter and slowly took shape.

“It started with just being too lazy to throw the boxes away outside,” Nickels said. “We ordered pizza at least once a week and at one point went almost 30 days straight eating pizza.”

Nickels and his roommates were able to eat so much pizza because Donatos is one of the off campus eateries associated with WSU’s meal plan. The pizza pay load usually was split between Nickels and his two roommates.

“We switched off ordering pizzas depending on who had more money on their card,” said Matt Hubbs, Nickels roommate.

All 131 boxes were taken away by Donatos to be recycled.

However, Nickels plans to re-create the stack, starting with the 10 he and his friends were given at the party. As long as Donatos is on WSU’s meal plan, pizza will be what’s for dinner for Nickels.

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