Wake Forest Charity Relay Raised Record $407,000
The annual Hit the Bricks event set a new fundraising record for cancer research through team-based participation.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The 2026 Hit the Bricks fundraiser at Wake Forest University generated nearly $407,000 to support cancer research and patient care. This single-day event drew 2,406 participants who completed 11,862 laps around the campus Quad.
Why it matters
The fundraiser demonstrates how large-scale student-led initiatives successfully drive philanthropic engagement and financial support for specialized medical institutions like Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. It illustrates the growing capacity for campus-based events to scale revenue for regional health systems.
The 2026 Hit the Bricks event raised nearly $407,000, surpassing the 2025 record of over $348,000. Over its 23-year history, the relay has accumulated more than $2.1 million, contributing to a broader $6.5 million total raised by annual student-led events at the university.
The players
Wake Forest University
A private research university in Winston-Salem that serves as the host and organizer for the student-led relay.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
A major academic medical center and healthcare system in North Carolina that manages the research and patient services supported by the fund.
Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund
A long-standing charitable fund established to support oncology research and patient support services.
The details
The fundraiser functions as a competitive relay race where teams of runners and walkers accumulate laps throughout the day on the university Quad. Participants solicit donations from their networks to support the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Teams use internal competition to maximize lap counts and total dollars raised, directly connecting institutional milestones to community-driven health outcomes.
Timeline
1980: The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund was established.
2003: The Hit the Bricks event was founded as a student tradition.
October 1, 2026: The most recent Hit the Bricks event occurred.
Market Landscape
This fundraiser operates as a specialized contribution stream for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which has been active since 1980. The event marks a 23-year effort to formalize student philanthropy as a reliable capital source for regional medical research.
Operators looking to benchmark their own corporate social responsibility programs should monitor how student-led team competitions drive higher donor participation. Tracking the conversion of participants into consistent annual donors remains a critical metric for institutional fundraising success.
The takeaway
Large-scale events require robust team competition structures to consistently exceed previous revenue benchmarks. Businesses can adapt this model by organizing competitive, goal-oriented internal challenges to increase engagement for their own community-based philanthropic efforts.
Further reading
For more on local charitable initiatives, see the Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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