Michael R. Pascucci Lung Cancer Association

Mike Pascucci

There’s a good chance you knew Mike Pascucci. He was hard to miss. He was big. His laugh was big. His heart was big. Within minutes of meeting him, he was your friend. There were no strangers in his presence. Fun came first with Mike. And he brought you along for the ride.

Mike Pascucci was born in New York, but spent most of his youth in the South, including the Carolinas and Texas. He was recruited for football and landed at the University of Virginia.

In Summer 2006, he married his soul mate, Amy. Weeks later he was diagnosed with non-smoking, non-small cell lung cancer.

Together, he and Amy lived with and fought with this disease with valiance and grace. Eight months into this fight, Mike died at 40. He is, however, still here with us in so many ways. And now this organization will add to and further honor his legacy.

To further Mike’s legacy and conquer this ruthless disease, Mike’s family and friends formed the Michael R. Pascucci Lung Cancer Association (MPLCA), joining forces with Uniting Against Lung Cancer to fund research.

In 2008, MPLCA began hosting "ScucciFest" a music festival on the James River in Virginia to raise funds and awareness for lung cancer research.

Mission:

The MPLCA is devoted to the relentless pursuit of eradicating lung cancer, in honor of Michael Pascucci. The Association is committed to helping the medical community in the quest to develop a cure for lung cancer, through fundraising and advocacy efforts. Acknowledging this is potentially a long-term pursuit, we will also focus on helping extend and improve the lives of individuals fighting this disease. As is Mike’s spirit, this battle is Larger than Life.

In 2009, MPLCA co-funded its first grant through the Uniting Against Lung Cancer Research Grant Program. Funds from the Michael R. Pascucci Lung Cancer Association supported Susumu Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center