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<p>WYOMING &#8212; Ellery Davis serves up pizza daily at his Wyoming Avenue restaurant, but Monday was different.</p><p>Those who dined on hot pies and other dishes at Maranjo&#8217;s Pizza and Italian Eatery were helping support a cause dear to many hearts on the West Side: The Schuyler Avenue Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization.</p><p>It&#8217;s reeling from the loss of at least $14,000, allegedly at the hands of former PTO Treasurer Pamela Sue Brady.</p><p>Seventy-five percent of the money collected from delivery, take-out and dine-in orders at the restaurant on Monday will go to the PTO.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m involved with the PTO. My kids go to the school,&#8221; Davis said. &#8220;It was a no-brainer to lend my restaurant to help get the PTO back in good standing.&#8221;</p><p>That despite the fact that his business has only been in business for five months. It wasn&#8217;t immediately known later Monday exactly how much had been raised.</p><p>&#8220;This is a great opportunity for the community to support a good cause for people who have been victimized,&#8221; added server Brittany Murtha. &#8220;It&#8217;s amazing that the PTO turned something bad into a positive.&#8221;</p><p>Parents and teachers involved with the PTO also became servers for a day and helped take patrons orders and bring them their food.</p><p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t thank Ellery Davis enough for his generosity,&#8221; said PTO president Melissa Adams. &#8220;I also have to thank the volunteers for their continued support in these times.&#8221;</p><p>The PTO&#8217;s total deficit could be about $20,000, Adams explained.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m confident that we will be good by the start of the school year,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We won&#8217;t be where we were but it will be enough.&#8221;</p><p><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/708778/court-briefs-30" target="_blank">Brady </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/708778/court-briefs-30" target="_blank">was arrested last month</a> after what investigators say was a series of thefts over six months. Court records show Brady is free on $5,000 unsecured bail, and that a dispositional hearing on her felony theft charge is set for Aug. 16 before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough.</p><p>PTO trustee Melinda Heffron, who was among Monday&#8217;s volunteers, recalled the shocking discovery.</p><p>&#8220;It was after our president got a phone call about a bounced check,&#8221; Heffron said. &#8220;We thought it was fraud, not our treasurer.&#8221;</p><p>In an alleged confession to investigators on June 8, Brady said she used forged checks, cash and the PTO&#8217;s ATM card for personal use, according to a criminal complaint.</p><p>She also allegedly admitted to faking reports to make the group&#8217;s account balance seem larger than it really was.</p><p>Well-wishers have been chipping in to help the PTO since.</p><p>A random donor helped pay for yearbooks for fifth-graders, while driving the cost down to $5 for other students enrolled at Schuyler Avenue Elementary.</p><p>The group also is having a fundraiser at the Art n&#8217; Vino Paint and Sip Studio on River Street in Wilkes-Barre on July 23, Heffron said. They are donating 50 percent of the proceeds, and the PTO will also have raffle baskets and baked goods there.</p><p>And, of course, there was Davis.</p><p>&#8220;He was so gracious,&#8221; Heffron said. &#8220;We will take anything we can get.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Steven Zomerfeld 7, enjoys a slice of pizza Monday while his mom, Kaitlin Sickle, and sister, Anna Zomerfeld, look on. The family came to Maranjo&#8217;s on Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming to help raise money for the Schuyler Avenue Elementary PTO after funds of over $14,000 went missing. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071718fundraiser1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Steven Zomerfeld 7, enjoys a slice of pizza Monday while his mom, Kaitlin Sickle, and sister, Anna Zomerfeld, look on. The family came to Maranjo&#8217;s on Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming to help raise money for the Schuyler Avenue Elementary PTO after funds of over $14,000 went missing. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071718fundraiser2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Purcel family enjoys pizza at Maranjo&#8217;s in Wyoming Monday during a fundraiser for the Schuyler Avenue Elementary PTO. Kaylyn 5, Conlon 7, Kynley 2, Kelly, Riley 12 and Rorey 9 all wanted to support the school the famly attends. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_TTL071718fundraiser2.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Purcel family enjoys pizza at Maranjo&#8217;s in Wyoming Monday during a fundraiser for the Schuyler Avenue Elementary PTO. Kaylyn 5, Conlon 7, Kynley 2, Kelly, Riley 12 and Rorey 9 all wanted to support the school the famly attends. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Schuyler Ave. group hosts fundraiser to recoup missing funds</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Schuyler Avenue Elementary PTO hosts fundraiser to recoup missing funds