Since its inception in 2006, Wake ‘n’ Shake has taken over Wake Forest’s campus by storm. The 12-hour, standing-only dance marathon that raises money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund is Wake Forest’s largest philanthropy event on campus. Wake ‘n’ Shake has been established as the largest entirely student-run event on Wake Forest’s campus, raising over $3 million.
The end of the night proves to be an emotional and reflective time for all participants: those from all corners of campus come together to remember those they have lost and who they came to dance for at the beginning of the day.
“It is a symbol of resilience and shared commitment,” Student Director Jamie Wander said. “This funding has been instrumental in propelling groundbreaking initiatives, including the development of a new therapeutic drug to increase survival of pancreatic cancer patients and the purchase of nanoparticle generation and detection equipment.”
Wander is in her second year serving as a student director. Now a senior, Wander began her involvement in Wake ‘n’ Shake as a freshmen committee member. Her sophomore year, Wander served as an executive board member and then began her role as senior director her junior year at Wake Forest.
“I’m honored to serve my second year as student director … it has easily become one of the most meaningful experiences I have had during my time at Wake Forest,” Wander said. “I’ve had several family members and close friends battle cancer, so this cause is very meaningful to me.”
The hard work that Wake ‘n’ Shake’s executive board puts in to hold the annual event has a direct impact on the Winston-Salem community. The funds raised by students help to save the lives of patients and support families at the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Not only does Wake ‘n’ Shake’s funding go toward therapeutic drug initiatives and improved medical equipment, it also supports the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hispanic Patient Navigator position, which enhances Hispanic patients’ access to care, increases clinical trial participation and benefits racial health equity.
Junior Katie Romhilt described Wake ‘n’ Shake as “an opportunity for the entire community to come together for a better cause.”
Romhilt first got involved in Wake ‘n’ Shake as a freshmen on the morale committee. On the morale team, Romhilt helped participants stay engaged and excited during the long event — planning dances, creating fun activities and boosting the spirits of all students involved.
“Being on the morale committee, I was so moved by the collective and inspiring space that it drove me to increase my involvement in the event,” Romhilt said.
Romhilt has been on the tech executive committee for the past two years, in which she is in charge of producing content for and leading up to the event.
“It is really cool to document an event that feels so important for the community,” she said.
Junior Dean Moro began his Wake ‘n’ Shake journey last year on the local outreach committee. Moro’s work on the local outreach team was to reach out to sponsors in and around Winston-Salem in order to set up various sponsorship events, receive donations and help expand ongoing fundraising campaigns prior to the event.
After being a part of this committee, Moro decided he wanted to get more involved, as he had also been a dedicated participant for years. This year, Moro is on the corporate sponsorship executive committee. Moro’s role is to engage with corporations and companies that are affiliated with Wake Forest to solicit donations for the event. By networking with businesses in the area, Wake ‘n’ Shake is able to increase their donations outside of participant funding.
Moro stated that Wake ‘n’ Shake’s inclusivity is what makes the event so special.
“Everyone can play a role together. It is one of the few events on Wake’s campus where it doesn’t matter who you are,” he said.
Lily Matthews, a senior on the Wake ‘n’ Shake executive board, discussed how her role in the event has been the most rewarding experience of her life.
“Wake ‘n’ Shake is vital to our community and teaches us college kids a vital lesson: one person can generate monumental change,” Matthews said.
Matthews also noted the domino-like effect that Wake ‘n’ Shake participation generates on campus.
“One person could get their friend to sign up for Wake ‘n’ Shake, who then gets donations, who then gets inspired by the cause and raves about the experience,” Matthews said.
Anyone can participate in Wake ‘n’ Shake, no matter one’s campus affiliation, grade level, major or experience. Because of this, Wake ‘n’ Shake is a testament to the power of community and the collective determination to create a world free from the impact of cancer.
This year, Wake ‘n’ Shake will take place on March 23.
