Jana Piccola Walk 4Love on
Saturday, Sept. 22
There will always be a special place set aside in the annals of Huntington High School just for Jana Piccola. The genial Class of 2004 member could usually be found surrounded by a fiercely loyal and devoted cadre of classmates, teammates, family, teachers and close friends. Her infectious laugh and electric smile were magnetic and will always be remembered around her alma mater.
Ms. Piccola's heartbreakingly too short life was such an inspiration to others that a core group of 40 of her friends have once again closed ranks and joined together to organize a 5K walk/run in her honor on Saturday, September 22 to benefit the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Pediatric Cancer Center.
The fourth annual Jana Piccola Walk 4Love will kick-off at Mill Dam Park at 9 a.m. The race course will include a long and scenic stretch along Huntington Harbor. The event is expected to attract as many as 1,000 participants. In-person registration and number pick-up begins at 7:30 a.m. on September 22.
An 8:30 a.m. fun run for those aged 12 and younger will precede the walk/run. Organizers believe the road race will feature a strong field of runners, in addition to less serious athletes and so-called "weekend warriors."
Ms. Piccola passed away on October 31, 2008 from acute myeloid leukemia. She was 21 years old and had first been diagnosed with cancer in the spring of her junior year of high school. After long and grueling treatments drove the disease into remission, she lived a happy existence for many years, before becoming ill again as a college senior. Quinnipiac University awarded Ms. Piccola's bachelor's degree posthumously.
Ms. Piccola's leukemia is thought to have been a delayed side-effect of the chemotherapy and radiation treatments she received during her earlier successful battle against stomach cancer as a 16 year old.
Those interested in participating in this year's Walk 4Love can register online at www.active.com. Enter the name "Jana Piccola" in the search bar and then click on the link for the "Jana Piccola Walk 4 Love." The fee for online registration is $20 through September 12. Online registration after that date and on-site registration the day of the event is $25. Registration includes a tee-shirt. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each age group division.
While a student at Huntington High School, Ms. Piccola played on the varsity field hockey team, wrote and directed the Class of 2004's entry in the Play Fest competition and participated in many clubs, including Make-a-Wish and Students Against Driving Drunk. She earned the Triple C Attorney General's Award as a senior.
The Huntington alum excelled at Quinnipiac University, compiling an A average and landing internships at an ABC affiliate in New Haven, ABC Network in New York City and the Rachel Ray Show in Manhattan. Even while commuting to Manhattan from Hamden, Connecticut twice a week, she was able to maintain a full course load and maintain her spot on the Dean's List.
The walk/run will help benefit a cause that was most dear to Ms. Piccola's tender heart. "People are not aware of the impact pediatric cancer has on society," said Sean V. Pawlec, a Huntington High School alum who joined with Ms. Piccola to raise $30,000 for pediatric cancer research just a few short months prior to her passing. "Currently, one in every 330 children in the United States develops cancer before the age of 19. Each school day, enough children are diagnosed with childhood cancer to empty two classrooms!"
An unstoppable couple, Mr. Pawelec and Ms. Piccola co-founded the 4Love Project, which raises awareness of the scourge of pediatric cancer and makes contributions to research efforts dedicated to obliterating the disease from the planet.
There are also various event sponsorship opportunities available. For more information about the event or to discuss sponsorship possibilities contact Mr. Pawelec at Sean@JanaLeePiccola.org or event director Caitlin Latini at cait.latini@gmail.com.