June 21, 2011
Read a Feature Story on Lift for Life and the Participant List Here
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - The Ninth Annual Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life will be held Friday, July 8, with proceeds again benefiting the Kidney Cancer Association.
Over its initial eight years, the Penn State Lift For Life has grown tremendously. Again last year, more than 90 Nittany Lion football student-athletes tested their strength and endurance in an 11-event strength and conditioning challenge that raised a record total for kidney cancer awareness and assistance.
Founded by Penn State football teammates, the Penn State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes has raised nearly $500,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association since 2003. In 2009-10, the chapter raised a record total of $98,461.35, more than $16,000 above the record total raised a year earlier.
Members of the Nittany Lion Football squad have been working hard in preparation for this year's event, which will be held from 2:00-6:30 p.m. in Holuba Hall. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Eighteen teams of four squad members are set to participate on Friday.
Lift For Life is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5 per students/child and $10 per adult. Fans will have a chance to meet and get autographs from current and former members of the Penn State Football team.
To help the Nittany Lion Football Student-Athletes reach their goal, fans can visit the team donation page at: http://liftforlife.upliftingathletes.org/lfl2
Founded by Penn State Football teammates Scott Shirley, Dave Costlow and Damone Jones in 2003, Lift For Life has continued to build awareness and raise funds for the Kidney Cancer Association. The event is organized by Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes, whose members are on the Penn State football team, led by Mike Farrell (Pittsburgh), president of the chapter.
Sophomore tackle Eric Shrive (Scranton) is vice president of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter. Junior tight end Mike Yancich (Washington) is secretary and sophomore center Ty Howle (Wake Forest, N.C.) is head of operations.
Uplifting Athletes has grown to nine chapters, with Boston College, Colgate, Kent State, Maryland, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Ohio State and Princeton joining Penn State in the fight against rare diseases. Boston College, Colgate, Maryland and Northwestern also are organizing Lift for Life events this year.
Holuba Hall is located directly across from the East Area Locker Room and adjacent to the Lasch Football Building. Uplifting Athletes SM has worked hard to accommodate the growing number of fans who attend this annual event, including a more fan friendly set-up for Lift For Life. The members of the football team will be put through 11 grueling physical tasks such as bench press, leg press, and less conventional events such as the tire flip and the iron cross. This event will be a test of strength and endurance as well as mental toughness.
For more information about Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes SM or the Penn State Football Lift for Life, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.upliftingathletes.org or contact Deloris Brobeck at 814-865-1946 during business hours. Uplifting Athletes, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that operates as a national charter and serves as a uniting force to help change the perception of rare diseases.
About Uplifting Athletes: Uplifting Athletes is a full service national nonprofit organization aligning college football with rare diseases and raising them as a national priority through research, outreach, education and advocacy. What makes Uplifting Athletes unique is that our university chapters are run by current football student-athletes, providing them with an opportunity to gain management and leadership skills while learning how to leverage their assets and abilities to make a positive and lasting impact. Each chapter adopts one out of approximately 7,000 rare diseases (including ALS, Aplastic Anemia, CMT, cystic fibrosis, Ehlers-Danlos, Ewing's Sarcoma, Kidney Cancer, Leukemia, MS, Neimann Pick Type-C, Neuroblastoma, pancreatic cancer, etc.).