Joe Petrizzi for Operation: Military Kids

After seeing the effects of military deployment on his two young cousins, Joe Petrizzi wants to help the families of deployed servicemen and women.

Joe Petrizzi is a history major, resident advisor, admissions ambassador and public relations chairman for Carolina Fever.

If Petrizzi wins Mr. UNC, he will use the $500 to combine the mission of Operation: Military Kids with his involvement at Carolina Fever by bringing kids to UNC sporting events.

Operation: Military Kids supports the families, specifically the children, of service people who are overseas.

“I’m excited about it because it gives the kids a chance to have a really fun day. I know when I was around their age … the Carolina athletes were my heroes, the people I looked up to,” Petrizzi said.

“But also it will give Chapel Hill a chance to appreciate what these families go through and the bravery that they show when their family members are overseas defending our freedom.”

A portion of the $500 would also go to assembling special care packages that Operation: Military Kids calls Hero Packs. The packages are filled with games, DVDs and popcorn and are sent to the families of deployed service people.

Petrizzi said he hopes to make his project happen even if he doesn’t win Mr. UNC.

Though an involved student, Petrizzi didn’t originally plan to apply for Mr. UNC.

Jenny Bingham, Petrizzi’s friend and fellow RA in Avery Residence Hall, convinced him to run with the help of the other RAs in Avery.
Bingham said Petrizzi’s twin brother, Sean Petrizzi, is running for homecoming king at James Madison University. He sent her a Facebook message asking her to get his brother to run at UNC.

“The reason why I told him he should do it was because when I think of a male that would represent this school, I couldn’t think of anybody better, just because he literally loves like every aspect of this school – sports, academics, the people, the actual buildings themselves,” Bingham said.

“This school is like made for him almost.”

History professor Matthew Andrews, one of Petrizzi’s professors, agrees.

“He’s articulate, he’s bright … but his enthusiasm is really what separates him from a lot of (students). Whatever project he’s doing he latches onto and really goes full steam,” he said.

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