$125,000 and Counting: BBQ, Brews & Bingo Delivers Our Most Successful Fundraiser Ever

Over 120 people joined us on Saturday, July 25 at 42 West in Atlanta for our fifth annual BBQ, Brews & Bingo Celebration, capping off a week that also included the 2026 VCP International Scientific and Community Summit.

As guests arrived, they settled in with barbecue and drinks, played a few rounds of Plinko, and browsed our silent auction items. SmokeSouth BBQ came up from Warner Robins with barbecue that didn't disappoint and their banana pudding vanished almost as fast as it arrived. Fall Line Brewing made the trip from Middle Georgia too, pouring beer and their now-famous ranch water. Three events running and ranch water is still the drink everyone asks about. This year we were honored to have U.S. Congressman Richard McCormick purchase a table and join us, along with his family and staff.

Nathan Peck opened the program with a look at where Cure VCP Disease has been over the past eight years and where we are headed. Zollie Yavarow, PhD, followed with a recap of the 2026 Summit, two and a half fulfilling days of scientific and patient presentations and much collaboration. Allison Peck then recognized our 2026 I CAN MOVEment leaders, and their fundraising contributions towards research this year.

The main event was Bingo, called by Events by JC, who kept the room laughing and moving all night. Our first two games each paid out $250 in cash. Congratulations to our winners Anna Hernandez and Calais Vandromme!

Tim Kraft, a longtime friend of Nathan's from Georgia Tech, shared a fun story and Brandon Feldt led us into "Raise Your Paddle for Hope" where over 50 individuals and families contributed to our mission for a cure. Most donors walked away with our stylish Cure VCP Disease hat. Every attendee also went home with a commemorative Cure VCP Disease dice set.

We closed out the night with our final bingo game, where Sean Katinga won the big prize of $500 cash! We closed out the night at our BBQ fundraiser with drawing raffle prize winners. Our grand prize, a 75 inch Hisense TV, was given away at the Plinko board, and Cindy Lee walked away the big winner.

Thanks to this community, we raised over $125,000 this year, far exceeding our goal of $100,000. Thank you to everyone who came, gave, sponsored, and volunteered. The room itself was a reflection of this community: patients, scientists and researchers, family and friends from many seasons of life. We were all in one place for the same reason, to bring a cure for VCP disease. 

A huge thank you to Energy One Consulting, our Featured Sponsor, and to Luckey Communications and Jennifer Stancil and family for their generous sponsorship. We greatly appreciate our vendors who show up for us to make this event a success: SmokeSouth for the barbecue, Fall Line Brewing for the beer, Events by JC for keeping bingo and the whole night running smoothly, and CFJR Safe Travels for getting our accessible challenged families to and from the event safely and comfortably. We're grateful for every one of you.

To purchase and see more photos from the Summit or our annual Celebration, please visit Sam Grace Snaps below. A portion of the proceeds from photo purchases will be donated to Cure VCP Disease. 

Interested parties should use the password CureVCP2026 with their email address