Oct. 30, 2014
HARRISBURG and UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 30, 2014 - One Cause. One Program. Together Uplifting Athletes and Penn State have stood the test of time.
Since the first Penn State Lift For Life in 2003, Penn State football student-athletes have come together to support the rare disease community through Uplifting Athletes.
Under the guidance of current Chapter President Ben Kline and his leadership team, the Penn State Chapter raised a record $151,990 this past year for kidney cancer research.
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Penn State and State College communities for the past 12 years, the Penn State Chapter has now raised more than $1 million. Penn State is the first Uplifting Athletes Chapter to reach this milestone.
"This is a day that I've looked forward to for a long time," said Penn State Chapter founder and Uplifting Athletes Executive Director Scott Shirley, a former Nittany Lion football student-athlete. "Every year we got a little bit closer, and this milestone seemed to be within reach.
"To me this is a test of time, and it wasn't a one-hit wonder. The organization just continued to grow year after year."
As the single largest donor to the Kidney Cancer Association, the funds raised from the Penn State Chapter has helped bring seven new treatments to market in the last 12 years.
And what started at Penn State has sparked a movement that is growing nationwide, as 24 other college football programs have formed Uplifting Athletes Chapters - including half the Big Ten, ACC and at least one chapter in each major FBS conference.