Tommy Brull Foundation helps raise money for charities at annual fundraiser

The Tommy Brull Foundation held its 16th annual fundraiser event at the St. Agnes Parish Center in Rockville Centre on Nov. 11, to help raise money for a number of different charitable organizations.

Proceeds raised during this year’s event will go to support three new causes — the Jeff Buxton Fund, the UnbreakableBrooke Foundation and Inclusive Sports and Fitness — along with others that the foundation supports every year.

To give back to the church community, the foundation was proud to help support the Buxton family this year. Jeff Buxton, husband of St. Agnes Cathedral’s cantor Christina Buxton, is currently fighting cancer and has been unable to work.

The foundation also helps raise money for Centre Stage, Challenger Baseball, RVC Top Soccer, the Move Program at CP Nassau, RVC Hoops for All, Achilles Kids, and the Exceptional Artist Foundation. It also provides funding to the Tommy Brull Foundation’s many programs including wrestling exhibits, the Ladybug Ball, and the surf program at Camp ANCHOR.

During the fundraiser event, the Tommy Brull Foundation presented the 2023 Courage and Resilience Award to Tricia Pikul of East Meadow for her perseverance, dedication and accomplishments.

For the past nine years, this award has been presented to an outstanding individual living with a physical, intellectual or emotional disability, who has overcome adversity in order to achieve their goals.

“This year, we chose someone who I have been proud to call a friend for over 30 years,” Martin Brull, president of the foundation, said. “I first met her in 1990 and was immediately drawn to her magnetic personality. Her smile can draw anyone in. While she cannot use her voice to speak, she is more sociable than most people I know.”

In 1984, her mother, Janice, was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in Pikul having a severe traumatic brain injury. She was rushed to the hospital where she spent the next five months in a coma. After she recovered, she spent a year and a half at Rusk Rehabilitation before returning home.

Pikul was left with many hills to climb, but did not allow these obstacles to define her or stop her motivation to improve. She worked tirelessly to regain her strength in order to become as independent as possible.

She first met Martin Brull while attending Camp Anchor, a summer program that serves thousands of children and adults with various special needs in the Town of Hempstead, where both he and his brother Tommy had worked as counselors.

“Tricia is determined and patient,” Brull said. “She is outgoing and always willing to advocate for herself. She will get your attention and get her thoughts across. She never becomes frustrated or upset when she is not understood. I find her patience and perseverance remarkable.”

Pikul enjoys many activities including dancing, music and attending concerts. She surfs without fear and loves to travel and cruise. She is very close with her family and her boyfriend, Kevin.

“What I find most remarkable about Tricia is her smile,” Brull said. “I have known her for thirty years and only saw her cry or get upset once after her father’s passing. Her mother also told me that she has never been angry or frustrated over her circumstances. I admire her patience and I wish I could be more like Tricia.”