Wolfords Honored with Burrus Award for Community Service

This year’s alumni recipients of the Burrus Family Award for Community Service, Jill Pfeffer Wolford (’87 BSPharm) and Eric Wolford (’95 PharmD), work to support cancer patients in need through their organization, the Caring Community Foundation.

The foundation helps patients with everyday expenses, such as rent, utilities and food, and also with the costs of prescription medication and nutritional supplements. The Wolfords will donate their award money to the Caring Community Foundation to continue their work of supporting patients in need.

In 1999, Jill, a director in the division of research and development for GlaxoSmithKline, was diagnosed with breast cancer and received the support of family, friends and neighbors during her nine months of treatment. Overwhelmed by the outpouring, she and Eric, head of medical affairs at Talecris, decided that the best way to say thanks would be to help others who faced similar struggles.

Their fundraising efforts started in 2000 with a backyard barbecue celebrating the successful completion of Jill’s cancer treatment. They asked friends and neighbors for small contributions and raised more than $700 that night, which was given anonymously to a single mother with breast cancer to help pay her medical bills.

Initially, Jill said she didn’t think that much would develop from their efforts. But then the couple got their first thank-you note from their woman who received the donation expressing her immense gratitude.

"Originally you just think, ‘Yeah, we’re going to help one patient and we’re done,’” she said. "When I read the note and realized we had changed her life, how could you not help the world?”

Over the past 10 years, the Caring Community Foundation has raised more than $1 million and assisted more than 1,000 patients in the Triangle. At any given time, there are 100 to 200 volunteers working for the foundation.

Today, the Wolfords serve in leadership roles with the foundation, with Eric serving on the board of directors and Jill on the advisory board.

"We’re always the ambassadors of the foundation. I talk to lots and lots of people,” Jill said. "Eric and I both feel very strongly that we always want to be in the grassroots of it all because that’s where we started and that’s where we should always be.”

Jill said she has seen a shift in activity surrounding the foundation in recent years.

"All of a sudden people have started spreading the news about us. People have started doing fundraisers, and we are the recipients,” she said.

In February, a musical tribute to George Harrison was held at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro with the foundation as the beneficiary. Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Raleigh and the Cary Junior Women’s Club have also held events to benefit the Caring Community Foundation.

"This year has been such a pivotal moment for the foundation,” Jill said. "With the economy as it’s been that we sit here and we know how we’re right in how we’re doing things because we’ve raised more money than we ever have before. People really understand what we’re doing and believe in the cause. Even though there’s hardship, they realize there are people out there who have it so much worse.”

The Samuel B. Burrus Family Award for Community Service comprises two annual awards that are given to members of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy who exhibit outstanding and unselfish civic, community or church volunteer service provided outside the scope of regular pharmacy practice.

One award is presented to a student currently enrolled in the School. This year’s student award was given to Davon Townsend. She designated her award money to Abundant Hope Christian Church.