In May 2026, the WPC Club received an official thank-you letter from the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS, signed by President Allegra Agnelli, confirming receipt of the €2,000 charity donation raised at the PIM 2026 charity auction. The letter marked a significant moment in the relationship between the international phonecard collecting community and one of Italy’s most important oncology research foundations.
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The PIM 2026 Charity Auction — How the Donation Was Raised
At PIM 2026, held on April 17–19 at Parco Culturale Le Serre in Grugliasco, the WPC Club organized its annual charity auction. Twenty-five lots went under the hammer: twenty-four donated by collectors and exhibitors attending the event, and one star lot contributed by Juventus FC – the HOME shirt for season 2025/26, personally autographed by Kenan Yildiz.
The session, conducted by volunteer auctioneer Vito Gioia, raised €2,000 in a single afternoon. The entire amount – without any deduction for costs or commissions — was transferred to the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS on April 20, 2026 via a SEPA instant bank transfer through Crédit Agricole. The transfer documentation was published as part of the WPC Club’s commitment to full transparency with its members, donors, and partners.
The complete story of the session — including the atmosphere, the bidding, and the bank transfer receipt – is covered in the PIM 2026 charity auction article.
WPC Club Charity Donation for Candiolo IRCCS: The Official Acknowledgment
In May 2026, the WPC Club received an official letter signed by Allegra Agnelli, President of the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS, confirming receipt of the €2,000 donation and expressing the Foundation’s appreciation for the WPC Club’s contribution.
The letter coincides with a significant milestone: 2026 marks the Foundation’s 40th anniversary – four decades dedicated to advancing cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research at the Istituto di Candiolo – IRCCS, one of Italy’s leading oncology research centres.
In her letter, President Agnelli emphasized that contributions from organizations like the WPC Club are essential to sustaining the Foundation’s most ambitious programmes: innovative clinical protocols, cutting-edge diagnostic technologies, and research initiatives that give patients new possibilities. Every gesture of support, she noted, contributes to the shared goal of advancing cancer research.
The Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS operates through donations and community support, funding scientific research at the Istituto di Candiolo – IRCCS independently of public funding cycles. The Candiolo research centre combines clinical treatment with fundamental research, making it one of the facilities where scientific progress translates most directly into improved outcomes for patients. For the WPC Club – a community built on the shared passion for phonecard collecting – contributing to this mission through the charity auction carries a meaning that extends well beyond the three days of PIM.
Receiving official acknowledgment from the Fondazione confirms that the charity auction model works: the entire community contributes, from the collector who donates a lot to the visitor who places a bid, and the proceeds reach their destination in full.
The WPC Club Charity Auction at Every PIM Edition
The WPC Club’s charity commitment continues at every edition of the PIM – Phonecards International Meeting. Each year, the event includes a charity auction open to collectors and businesses, with 100% of proceeds donated to the chosen beneficiary. The charity partner for PIM 2027 will be announced when the next edition details are confirmed.
The official acknowledgment from the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS closes one chapter and opens another. It confirms that the donation reached its destination and was recognized by the institution it was meant to support. It also places the WPC Club’s charity initiative in a wider institutional context: a collectors’ community whose actions have a documented, acknowledged impact on cancer research in Piedmont.
The WPC Club thanks President Allegra Agnelli and the Fondazione Piemontese per la Ricerca sul Cancro ETS for their response, and thanks every collector, exhibitor, and visitor who contributed to the success of the PIM 2026 charity auction.
