Penn State student athletes have been working toward this moment since 2003, and have now raised more than $1 million as part of Uplifting Athletes in support of kidney cancer research.
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. The yearly fundraising effort culminates with Penn State football players demonstrating amazing feats of strength at the annual Lift for Life held on campus each year.
“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. Twenty-four 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.
“We all work really hard on it,” said Kline. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in and really enjoy doing. It’s a great opportunity for us to give back and the players get behind it. It’s a huge testament to what we do here at Penn State and how seriously we take giving back to others.”
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