Executed man's last request honored -- pizza for homeless
 

(CNN) -- Hundreds of homeless people in Nashville, Tennessee, ate well Wednesday evening -- all in the name of a man who the state put to death just hours earlier.

Philip Workman, 53, requested that his final meal be a vegetarian pizza donated to any homeless person located near Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.

He was executed there at 2 a.m. ET Wednesday. (Watch witnesses describe his last moments )

But prison officials refused to honor his request, saying that they do not donate to charities.

That apparently upset a few people willing to pay for and deliver a lot of pies themselves.

Homeless shelters across Nashville were inundated with donated pizzas all Wednesday. (Watch homeless feast on piles of pizza )

"I was like, 'Wow, Jesus!' " said Marvin Champion, an employee of Nashville's Rescue Mission, which provides overnight shelter, food and assistance to more than 800 homeless people a night.

"I used to be homeless, so I know how rough it gets. I seen some bad times -- not having enough food, the cupboards are bare. But we got pizza to feed enough people for awhile," Champion said.

"This really shows the people here that someone out there thought of them."

$1,200 worth of pies
Donna Spangler heard about Workman's request and immediately called her friends. They all pitched in for the $1,200 bill to buy 150 pizzas, which they sent to the Rescue Mission.

"Philip Workman was trying to do a good deed and no one would help him," said the 55-year-old who recruited a co-worker to help her make the massive delivery Wednesday evening.

"I knew my husband would have a heart attack -- I put some of it on the credit card. But I thought we'll find a way to pay for them later," she said. "I just felt like I had to do something positive."

Spangler wasn't the only person to place an order in Workman's name.

The president of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals read a news story about the prison denying the inmate's last request and ordered 15 veggie pizzas sent to the Rescue Mission Wednesday morning.

"Workman's act was selfless, and kindness to all living beings is a virtue," said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.

Not far away, 17 pizzas arrived at Nashville's Oasis Center, a shelter that helps about 260 teenagers in crisis. By 9 p.m. ET, more pizzas had arrived, said executive director Hal Cato.

"We talked to the kids and they understand what this is tied to and they know that this man [Workman] wanted to do something to point out the problems of homelessness."

When Workman robbed a Wendy's in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1981, he was a strung-out cocaine addict looking for a way to pay for his next high, he has said.

He was homeless at the time. Workman was convicted of shooting and killing Memphis Police Lt. Ronald Oliver during the robbery.

Many of the pizzas ordered in Workman's name were delivered anonymously, but the first 17 at Oasis Center came from a Minneapolis, Minnesota, radio station that devoted much of its morning show time talking about Workman's request.

"They were upset about it," said Cato.

He plans to call other homeless shelters in Nashville Thursday and share the pies. "They should be able to benefit from this, too," he said.

Cliff Tredway, the director of public relations for the Rescue Mission, said it's more than pizzas that helped that shelter.

"It's the story of a guy whose execution translated into a generous act," he said. "It's people donating to other people they don't know.

"It's about a group of people who society often writes off getting a pizza party today."



I don't know why, but this struck a chord with me. Here, we have a man who is about to lose his life to the death penalty, and his last request was for pizza to be delivered to the homeless... It just kinda got to me.

WOW! Incredible! Thanks for posting.

I just read this. Shame the prison system itself couldn't honor his last request, but it's great that so many donated to the cause.

The real shame is that he was executed.

I'm glad too that so many homeless were fed. I go to a two-story house here once a month and serve the homeless.

as for the execution bit, as with abortion, I'm really, really torn, so I won't comment.

I'm not getting into that argument. :wavey:

I couldn't possibly agree more.

It's a real shame that they didn't write about the pain he caused the officer's family he killed in an armed robbery. It's a shame the victims got one line when pizza-boy got a full story. :mad: It's a shame they didn't go into his full police report and see how much pain he caused society. I say good riddance.

Let's just hope that someone you love doesn't get in a situation where they are affected by drug use or something else and do something out of control and then the government kills them.

Revenge does not equal justice.

That is great to hear you do that!!!:angel:

75% or released prisoners commit crimes again. Doesn't sound like "one situation - out of control". Once , First time, - all the excuses, fine. Repeat offenders - responsibility for ones actions. and don't forget THE VICTIMS. They are the ones that need our attention. If you are a repeat burden on society, then you should be removed. Not all human life is worth saving - their actions prove themselves not human. I have no compassion for repeat offenders of violent crimes. First time - all the excuses you want to name - second, third, fourth, enough is enough.... Remove from existance.

Well, why not make it easy? Why wait until they commit the second crime?? Since so many criminals (75%) commit another crime, just execute them all. After all, who would want to be responsible for letting a criminal out of jail- only to murder someone's relative?

Wow, well if you really believe that, then nothing I can say would mean a thing.

how so? you dont get on death row by being a boy scout for cripes sake :shrug:

Im not saying he should have died, but I find it interesting that his crime was not mentioned......

ETA:

agreed.

the last act of a convicted criminal no matter how altruistic cannot erase the act(s) that put him on death row in the first place. irregardless of whether you believe death penalty is right or not, the true miracle here is the generosity of those that donated pizzas for the homeless, not that a condemned man chose to use his last wish in such a manner :shrug:

I guess if I felt the hand of imminent doom upon me, I'd try to atone for sin too :shrug:

ahem: revenge would be the victim's family pursuing vigilante justice;
justice is letting the accused have his day in court w/representation and appeals and whatnot. People dont hit death row overnight. This man had plenty of time to impact his fate and was unsuccessful. Thus, your argument fails.