Lift for Life Returns Arts Fest Weekend

Lift for Life, the annual fundraiser for the Penn State Uplifting Athletes chapter will return for a 14th year in July.

The signature event for Penn State football’s efforts to raise money to support the rare disease community will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lacrosse Field on July 16, the Saturday of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Competitions include an obstacle course, sand bag stack, sled pull and push, shuttle run and a tug of war finale. More than 80 football team members will participate and will be available for an autograph session immediately after the event. A donation of $10 for adults and $5 for children is suggested to support the Penn State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes, with all proceeds benefiting support and research for those affected by rare diseases.

The football team also will conduct a kids clinic from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and all players will be available for autographs and photos afterward. Cost to participate in the clinic is $15 per child and participants will receive a Lift for Life T-shirt.

Penn State Police will have a patrol car on hand and Centre LifeLink EMS will have an ambulance for kids to explore.

Defensive end Garrett Sickels was announced as president/director of operations for Penn State Uplifting Athletes in 2016.

Uplifting Athletes originated at Penn State with the first Lift for Life in 2003. Penn State alumnus and former football player Scott Shirley, who lost his father to kidney cancer, went on to establish the nonprofit organization Uplifting Athletes in 2007. It has expanded to football programs in every major conference, with student-athletes having raised more than $400 million to support rare disease research and patient support.

Penn State alone has raised $1.1 million, tallying $120,000 in 2015,