Our Mission
MPCA is a nonprofit organization relentlessly dedicated to the pursuit of eradicating cancer by funding research grant programs. In the past fourteen years, we have raised over $370,000 to fight cancer!
Mike loved living in Richmond, he was a proud UVA grad and most importantly he loved helping others. In light of that is only appropriate that our mission is broadened to fight against all cancer. Beginning in 2018, we started to fund various cancer research at UVA and VCU. All money raised through MPCA will go directly to one of these universities, alternatively year after year. Additionally, the type of cancer research will vary each year. In 2009, MPCA awarded a $50,000 grant for non-small cell lung cancer research to Dr. Susumu Kobayashi, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and research associate in Hematology/Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Our 2013 $50,000 grant was to Dr. William Cheung of Yale, helping find new ways of stopping cancer from spreading. In 2016 we funded another $25,000 grant through The Lung Cancer Research Foundation. In 2018, a check for $20,000 was presented to the VCU Massey Research Center during Scuccifest. In 2019, $30,00 was given to the UVA cancer research center. In 2021, $50,000 was given to VCU Massey Research Center, AND $25,000 was given to UVA cancer research center. In 2022, we were able to give $40,000 to Massey Cancer Center at VCU in support of research into the phase two dosing of certain drugs in advanced solid tumors in specific types of ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancer. For more information see https://tinyurl.com/MPCA-2022Funding. In 2023 we were able to give $30,000 to UVA cancer research to help fund research into Precision Breast Intraoperative Radiation Therapy. The founders created the organization in honor of Michael Pascucci — a nonsmoker who passed away at 40 from non-small cell lung cancer — and his love for life. Mike’s diagnosis came just weeks after he and Amy were married. He died eight months later. MPCA will help Mike continue to be larger than life with continued contributions in his name. ScucciFest pays tribute to the memory of Michael R. Pascucci by offering a family friendly day of music, fun, food and friends along the James River at an American Legion facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Games for all ages will be on hand, with food, beer, wine, and merchandise available for sale. MPCA expects music lovers to once again fight cancer in Mike’s honor. |