Michael Amheiser

Michael Amheiser has been a member of the U.S. Pizza Team since 2008. He won his spot on the team with his "Mike's Favorite" Pizza. Michael has been in the pizza business for 20 years. He opened his first carryout and delivery store, Pizza Dock, in 1988 in Fredericktown, Ohio.

"I was just through a divorce and arson of my store; my family and work were messed up," Mike recalled. "So I just decided I want my life to make a difference. I'm 47, and I decided life is short. I didn't know what to do but I knew I had to do something." With this in mind, he made his first trip to Africa in 1999 at the invitation of a pastor working in Kenya. He returned in 2005, spending a month in Kenya distributing food aid, and continues his monthly contributions to African charities.

Mike rebuilt the store and still runs Pizza Dock (named for his former career as a fishing guide on Lake Erie) and currently employs 18 workers, full- and part-time, servicing this Ohio burg of 2,500. Mike has found his calling, dividing his time between pizza and charity. He does it all by following a simple philosophy: "I just want to help people." And with that philosophy, he feeds the appetites of both the residents of Fredericktown with his pizza, and the needy in Kenya with his philanthropy.

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