Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
A music festival benefiting a local man who needs a kidney transplant netted approximately $3,000, finishing better than organizers had initially believed.
Local resident John Picco is on a list for a kidney transplant when a kidney becomes available. He is attempting to raise cash to pay for anti-rejection drugs following the surgery.
The drugs, he said, will cost about $3,000 per month. He hopes to attend school and become qualified for a desk job that will provide insurance benefits that will pay for the drugs. During that time, he will use donated money to pay for the drugs.
While going through the process for the transplant, he was told he needed to raise about $50,000.
Throughout the last year, John and Sandie Picco, with friends, have put on several fund-raising events, including Piccofest, which featured a variety of area bands, including Knockout John, Crazy Train, Full Throttle, New South, Findlay-Johnson Project, Dana Foxx and the Porch Dawgs. The festival was held on Sept. 17 at the Rockin’ Red Ranch in the Holley area.
Total, the Piccos have raised between $5,000 and $6,000 under the sanction of the National Foundation for Transplants.
“Overall, things turned out well,” John Picco said. The festival grossed about $5,000.
They are already thinking about a second Piccofest, he said. “There’s sme things we’re going to fine tune.”
Next year will be bigger, starting with a base crowd of 300 or so who will spread word about the festival and draw more spectators, Picco said.
“For our first time, I think we were very successful,” said Sandie Picco.
“I was a stressball,” John Picco said.
“I was a stressball too,” Sandie Picco added.
On the morning of Piccofest, John Picco had to visit the emergency room with hypertension. Sandie Picco went and picked him up at about 3 p.m.
“I talked my doctors out of hospitalizing me,” John Picco said.
“I thought it was great,” Rockin’ Red Ranch owner Janice Urben said. “I wish we would’ve had more people, but I think people know about it and will come next year.”
Urben said she had people who wished they’d attended give her donations for Picco.
She is looking forward to another Piccofest next year.
The Piccos wanted to thank everyone who helped put the festival on.
They thanked Loran Koch of Lebanon and Knockout John.
“Loran worked relentlessly on this,” John Picco said. “He’s a good worker and a good friend.”
They also thanked Koch’s fiance, Jennifer Fries, for tolerating all of the attention he had to give Piccofest.
The Piccos also thanked karaoke deejay Robert “Patches” Neal for being emcee along with Off the Rail Brewery, Fritz’s Dairy and J&H Trucking for the stage, Buck’s Sanitary Service, Budweiser, A&W, Stainthorpe’s Music, Like Smith, Tim and Helen Geil, Gary Brown of the Tell and Sell, Sweet Home Family Medicine, Jennie’s Hair Solutions, Peggy’s Alaskan Cabbage Patch Bed and Breakfast, The Point Restaurant, Spike, Rockin’ Red Ranch and Callie’s Custom Embroidery.
Each donated prizes or services to the event.
For more information about Picco or the festival, visit http://www.piccofest.com on the Web.