Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive
The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund at Wake Forest supports cancer treatment and research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund at Wake Forest includes three philanthropic events held each year. It is unique in that it is entirely student-initiated and mobilizes the entire campus community in a unified effort to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Proceeds benefit the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund was established by students at Wake Forest in 1980 in memory of Brian Piccolo, a Wake Forest athlete/alum. Since its inception, the Wake Forest community has raised more than $5 million to support cancer treatment and research.
Through a series of fun and creative events, Wake Forest student organizations join together to promote student participation in the Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive. In recent years, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Drive Committee has identified “Hit the Bricks for Brian” (fall) and “Wake in Shake” Dance Marathon (spring) as the signature campus-wide events. Some of the other Piccolo events are: Chi Omega Auction, Birdies for Brian Golf Tournament and Pump Up for Piccolo.
Because of the advancements in medical research and treatment, today there is an 80 percent success rate for embryonal cell carcinoma, the type of cancer from which Brian Piccolo died in 1970 at the age of 26. The Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive is one of the few Wake Forest University efforts which join together the undergraduate college community with the medical school community in a common humanitarian enterprise–the fight against cancer.
For more information, please visit Wake Forest’s Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund website.