A Throng for Jana's Run
A throng turned out for the second annual Jana Piccola Walk 4Love 5K run/walk last Sunday as the Huntington community rallied to raise funds to help stamp out the scourge of pediatric cancer.
Organizers said 775 participants registered for the walk and run, which followed a course that stretched for several scenic miles along Huntington Harbor. While receipts and expenses are still being tabulated and donations are still arriving, it appears a contribution of about $25,000 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's pediatric cancer research efforts will be possible.
"I was amazed again to see so many people come out again for our cause and for Jana," said Sean V. Pawelec, Ms. Piccola's devoted boyfriend and caregiver and a 2003 Huntington graduate. "It is my mission to make people aware of childhood cancer and that is definitely what the second annual Jana Piccola Walk4Love helped continued to do."
"The day was terrific," said Caitlin Latini, the event director. "All the bumps in logistics from last year were almost completely smoothed out. The Suffolk County Police department and Huntington and Halesite fire departments were all on hand with support, which was amazing and very helpful in making the event as great as it was."
By now Ms. Piccola's story is well known throughout the community. As a 16-year Huntington High School junior she was diagnosed with stomach cancer that required long and intensive, but ultimately successful treatment. She graduated on-time with the Class of 2004 and headed off to Quinnipiac University. Four years later as a college senior she found herself terribly ill again. Diagnosed with leukemia, probably a product of her earlier treatment, she lost a brave battle with the disease in October 2008. She was just 21.
The field of runners last Sunday included serious athletes, current Huntington High School team members, Huntington teachers and administrators, hundreds of alumni as well as a cross-section of the Huntington community. Many came from other Long Island towns and still others from out-of-state.
"We certainly would not be able to handle the event without the nearly 100 amazing volunteers," Ms. Latini said. "Almost all the volunteers were friends of Jana from high school and college."
The volunteers also included many members of Ms. Piccola's family, who also donated funds and either ran or walked the race course. "I've received a number of e-mails from participants telling me how much they enjoyed the event," said Ms. Latini, a member of Ms. Piccola's graduating class.
One of the highlights of the day came when a group of 10 Best Buy employees took photos of runners at the finish line, displaying and printing them for free on request.
The event also saw several partnerships bear fruit. For example, the Jana Lee Piccola Foundation, which organized the event along with the 4Love Project, collaborated with Huntington-based Splashes of Hope, another non-profit. Jana Water donated 1,000 bottles for use at the race.
"The 4Love Project sponsored a beautiful mural, displayed at the event, which will be donated to a young child dealing with the trials and tribulations of cancer," Ms. Latini said.
Brian Malone was the first runner across the finish line for the second consecutive year, shaving two minutes off his 2009 time. Complete results can be viewed by logging onto http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?pubID=3&rsID=95689.
"It really warmed my heart to see so many people come out to honor Jana's spirit and contribute to such a wonderful cause," said Pam Piffard, who was Ms. Piccola's photography teacher at Huntington High School.