Family of Zankel '06 establishes cancer fund

The family of Bradley Zankel, a former student who died of brain cancer in June, will hold the Bradley Zankel Foundation's first fundraiser in New York City's Canal Room club on Thursday night. The proceeds will benefit brain cancer research.

Bradley was 20 when he died of glioblastoma — the most severe kind of brain cancer — following an 11-month bout with the disease. He was an ORFE major and avid skier known for his kindness and intelligence.

The foundation has already raised roughly $40,000 from word-of-mouth fundraising alone. It will start making donations next year, after the Zankels consult medical experts to assure their money is supporting the most promising brain cancer research.

The Thursday event is tailored to people Bradley's age, his father Jeff said, and will be festive with live music. "For the people who'll attend, it's no different from going out on any Thursday night or any other night that these clubs are open. But this time proceeds are going to cancer research," Jeff Zankel said.

"We first want to do something for the kids," he added. "A lot of the kids say, 'We want to help, we want to be a part of it.' This is bringing them into the process."

The foundation hopes to earn between $5,000 and $10,000 from the fundraiser, whose cover charge is $10 with a recommended additional donation of $10. Only those over 21 can attend, and for those who can't, Jeff Zankel suggests making a donation on the foundation's website: www.bradleyzankelfoundation.org.

To promote the event, Jeff Zankel contacted some of Bradley's best friends on campus, roommates Melissa Kessler '06, Nandita Gupta '06, Allison Berliner '06 and Liz Rutledge '06. Bradley spent so much time in their room his sophomore year that they called him their "fifth roommate."

Rutledge said the four suitemates plan to attend the fundraiser, along with roughly 10 others from campus, but she hopes for a better showing from Princeton. "It's going to be a really fun time," Rutledge said. "On a deeper note, not as many people as deserved got to be able to know Brad in his time, and this is a really great outlet for supporting his cause."

"Everyone I know who was good friends with him is dropping everything and going," added Rutledge, who will have to travel to New York twice that day and skip an eating club initiation.

Regardless of the inconvenience, students who attend will be supporting a good cause, Kessler said. "What [Bradley's] parents really want to do with this foundation, which really serves Brad's memory well, is to put money into research so people don't have to face this tragedy again," Kessler said. "There's no better tribute to Brad's memory and no better cause than coming out this Thursday to show we support these efforts. It's such a beautiful effort to make up for this devastation."

The four suitemates are also planning a memorial and fundraiser on campus in February.