Hit The Bricks raises $202,787.85, breaking fundraising record for second-straight year
Hit The Bricks, the annual campus tradition which raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund had a record-breaking day on Sept. 30, setting a new record for participants (1,693) and total money raised ($202,787.85 and counting). The milestone marked the first time the event surpassed $200,000 in annual funds raised since it began in 2003 and comes just a year after the event surpassed the $100,000 fundraising feat for the first time in 2020.
Together, members of the Wake Forest community, including students, alumni, faculty, and staff circled Hearn Plaza for 22,789 laps or just under 5,700 miles.
“It was an amazing day bringing our campus community together,” said Brad Shugoll, associate director of service and leadership in the Office of Civic & Community Engagement. “We had record-breaking participation and fundraising. Everyone was united in this shared fight against cancer.”
At the conclusion of the event, participants walked the final lap of the event in silence, remembering those lost to cancer and thinking of those fighting it now. Following the silent lap, the closing ceremony commenced, where students heard from Mike Ford, former student life director at Wake Forest, University Chaplain Rev. Tim Auman, and junior Thomas Cutting (‘23).
Hit The Bricks is one of several events held throughout the year by Wake Forest students in honor of Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo was an All-American football player who attended Wake Forest in the 1960s and went on to become a running back for the Chicago Bears. Piccolo died of embryonal cell carcinoma at age 26 in 1970. A year later, ABC featured a movie, “Brian’s Song,” about Piccolo’s life and friendship with fellow Beas player Gale Sayers, who died on September 23, 2020.
Funds raised from Hit The Bricks support the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Given this year’s total, Hit The Bricks and other student-led initiatives have raised nearly $5 million for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.