Students Raise More Than $41,000 For Cancer Fund

Twenty-two Wake Forest student organizations participated in the annual drive that raises money for cancer treatment and research.

“This is a significant increase from the $30,100 that was raised last year,” said committee co-chairman and Wake Forest senior Taylor Stanfield.

The money, raised through various fund-raising events including road races, golf tournaments, strength events and dance-a-thons, is donated to the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Students presented the check to Wake Forest President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. and Dr. Frank Torti, director of the Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feb. 20.

“It makes a difference to the students that work so hard to raise this money to see that it goes back into a local organization working to find a cure for cancer,” said Wake Forest junior and committee co-chair Stacey Lavallee.

According to Michael Ford, director of student development, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive ” joins together the undergraduate college community with the medical school community in a common humanitarian enterprise.”

“There is a tremendous effort on the part of the students to organize and raise money for the drive,” said Ford.

Students have raised more than $400,000 for cancer research since the drive started in 1980. The campaign is named for Wake Forest alumnus and football legend Brian Piccolo, who died in 1970 at the age of 26 of testicular cancer. In his senior year at Wake Forest, Piccolo led the nation in scoring and rushing. He played for the Chicago Bears after his Wake Forest career.

“The effort by Wake Forest’s students to raise money year after year for cancer research really sums up the Wake Forest motto of ‘Pro Humanitate’,” added Ford. “These students are demonstrating how much they really care about giving and sacrificing for the welfare of others.”