Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
A man’s goal to eat pizza on stranger’s lawn next to an absurdly large skeleton in all 50 states is a goal most people might not scratch in the sand.
But for Evan Baker, it has become his mission.
Yes, his goal is to eat a big piece of pizza in stranger’s lawns. So far, he has hit eight states in just a few months of the year. This past weekend, he made a stop in the New River Valley.
The Flint, Michigan native found the largest slice at Bennie’s in Blacksburg but couldn’t find a skeleton until he received a tip for one in Christiansburg off Wade’s Lane.
Sam Epperly is the owner of the 12-foot Christiansburg skeleton and said he has kept it up in his yard since Halloween over two years ago. He is called Frank.
“It was interesting that it got some attention this way,” Epperly said. The homeowner has no problem letting people stop to take pics with Frank.
This great ’26 adventure for Baker got started when he was driving home from coaching a soccer game in October, having just picked up a pizza.
“I saw a giant skeleton on someone’s lawn, and on a whim, I pulled over, knocked on the door and asked the owner if I could snap a pic of myself eating a slice next to his skeleton. He thought it was hilarious and said yes, and when I posted the photo online, I got a great reaction. I usually set a crazy goal for myself every year, so it didn’t take long for me to take this idea and run with it for 2026,” he said.
Thus, his New Year’s resolution was set as a ridiculous goal for himself to accomplish before the year is up.
Baker hasn’t missed a 2026 weekend yet and as far as the “all 50 states” goal goes, he is currently at eight: Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia and Virginia. He was already on the road on Sunday heading to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Baker said each place he has visited is so unique but loves how many folks he has met are proud of their hometown and excited to share it with me.
“Folks love recommending their local favorites and letting me know which things I have to try while I’m in town. I love that,” he said.
Baker’s pizza connection also comes through his company Skeleton Pizza Supply, a Michigan-based apparel brand formed in the summer of 2025. The company offers bold, unique graphic t-shirts and merchandise, you guessed it, geared toward pizza lovers.
The traveler stumbled on the idea of the massive lawn decorations, a skeleton, as he started the trek in and around Halloween. Baker then combined the two into the bigger adventure.
The apparel brand, according to Baker, is built on the niche of “pizza and skeletons”, creating a community for people who enjoy humor, food and spooky aesthetics. It also serves as a creative outlet to combine all parts of Baker’s lifestyle, music, soccer and humor-driven, interactive marketing stunts.
The apparel, as you expect, is heavily associated with taking photos with pizza and giant skeletons.
Baker called Blacksburg such a friendly town.
“So many folks got so invested in this leg of the journey and seemed genuinely excited to give recommendations and ask for updates. Downtown is beautiful and vibrant, and it was so fun to see so many people out and about last night having a good time with friends. I will definitely be back, I’d love to catch a VT game next fall,” he said.
To keep up with Baker’s great adventure, follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skeletonpizza. Gain more information on Skeleton Pizza Supply at https://skeletonpizza.org.
