Leverage public interest to cultivate resources that accelerate scientific advancements for rare diseases
Our Mission
is to inspire the rare disease community with hope through the power of sport. Our vision is to empower people to take action against rare diseases and be a catalyst for the medical community to find cures.
Our Programs
Develops social influencers into leaders that make a positive and lasting impact on their communities
Shares the platform of sport with the rare disease cause and raises it as a national priority
Creates special moments that enrich the lives of rare disease patients and their loved ones
Our Chapters
Our Motivation
1 in 10 Americans will be diagnosed with a Rare Disease
A Rare Disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time.
7,000
Approximate number of different rare diseases that collectively affect more than 30 million Americans.
Rare diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative and life-threatening.
75%
of rare diseases affect children
30%
of children with a rare disease will not live to see their 5th birthday.
Fundraising Initiatives
Lift For Life
Lift For Life is the original fundraising event that
launched Uplifitng Athletes! The event was
inspired by Don Shirley's battle with a rare
cancer. Now, college football teams across the
country participate in the right-of-passage to
benefit the rare disease community!
Touchdown Pledge Drive
Touchdown Pledge Drive brings awareness and helps raise funds while capitalizing on what our students-athletes do best during our most visible time of the year, college football season.
UA Ambassadors
The UA Ambassador program empowers individual athletes to support the Rare Disease Community by raising money and awareness with their performance. Opportunities include Reps for Rare Diseases at the NFL Combine and/or Pro Day workouts, the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats campaign, and anything else you can imagine!
Team UA
We are inviting athletes from across the country to support our mission by holding a pledge-based event to raise money for Uplifting Athletes. This program is open to all sports and all levels! Simply click create your campaign below to get started and a member of our staff will reach out to you to help make it a success.
Uplifting Events & Awareness Campaigns
Uplifting News
Posted on Monday October 08, 2018
Illinois has already won more games in 2018 than it did all of last year when the Fighting Illini ran past Rutgers by 21 points on the road. The Illini are now 3-2 overall and the triumph over the Scarlet Knights ended a 13-game losing streak in the Big Ten Conference. Prior to Saturday, the […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday October 08, 2018
The Princeton offense continued its assault on the school record books in a win over Lehigh that moved the nationally ranked Tigers to 4-0 overall. Pulling the trigger and getting the ball to all the weapons the Tigers possess is veteran quarterback John Lovett. The senior from Wantagh, N.Y. who is in his third season as […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday October 01, 2018
Undefeated Notre Dame has already handed out a pair of losses to teams ranked inside the top 20 in the country. The No. 6 ranked Fighting Irish used a rock-solid defensive effort to hand previous No. 7 ranked Stanford its first loss of the season. Notre Dame’s defense limited the Cardinal to 229 total yards […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday October 01, 2018
Each week during the college football season we will feature a player who is an officer for an Uplifting Athletes Chapter for our Beyond the Trophy series. Name: Christopher Schilling College: University of Notre Dame Height, weight, class, position: 5-11, 212-pound junior safety High School: St. Thomas Aquinas, Overland Park, Kansas About Schilling: Came to Notre Dame as a highly […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday October 01, 2018
Notre Dame defensive tackle Jerry Tillery etched his name in the Fighting Irish football record books in a victory over Stanford. Tillery, who started the season at nose tackle but has moved to the three-technique tackle, registered a school-record tying four sacks for the undefeated Fighting Irish. In addition to the four sacks, Tillery also […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday September 24, 2018
Colgate had a Bicentennial Blast on Saturday as Raiders kicked off their second century celebration by drubbing Lafayette at home to improve to 3-0 on the young season. All the rage in Hamilton over the weekend to kick off Colgate’s Bicentennial festivities was the throwback uniforms the Raiders wore to honor the Colgate’s famous 1932 […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday September 24, 2018
When your quarterback accounts for six touchdowns it is not easy to steal the spotlight from him. However setting a school record for touchdown receptions that has stood for nearly a quarter century qualifies as special. Princeton senior wide receiver Jesper Horsted became the all-time touchdown receptions leader for the Tigers with a trio of […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday September 24, 2018
Uplifting Athletes is pleased to announce that every touchdown scored throughout October by members of our nationwide network of college football student-athlete led chapters will help support the Rare Disease Community. Clemson, Davidson, Fordham, Illinois, Lehigh, NC State, Penn, Penn State, Saint Francis, Stony Brook, Syracuse and Western Michigan, chapters have each committed to help […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday September 24, 2018
Each week during the college football season we will feature a player who is an officer for an Uplifting Athletes Chapter for our Beyond the Trophy series. Name: George Hatalowich College: Davidson College Height, weight, class, position: 5-10, 210-pound junior linebacker High School: Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown, Pa. About Hatalowich: In two years with the Wildcats has started […] Continue Reading »
Posted on Monday September 17, 2018
For the first time since 2000 the Davidson football program is off to a 3-0 start. The Wildcats under first-year head coach Scott Abell picked up their third win in as many games in record-setting style. Playing their scheduled game with Guilford two days early because of Hurricane Florence, Davidson assaulted the NCAA FCS and […] Continue Reading »
Key Leadership
Chapter Leaders
NC State - Thomas Ruocchio
Penn State - Ryan Bates
Penn State - Steven Gonzalez
Clemson - Kyle Cote
Colgate - Owen Buscaglia
Davidson - George Hatalowich
Florida State - Alec Eberle
Illinois - Nick Allegretti
Maryland - Avery Edwards
Northwestern - Tommy Doles
Notre Dame - Jimmy Thompson
Penn - Cooper Gardner
Princeton - Kurt Holuba
Saint Francis - Mike Ames
Stony Brook - Marc Nolan
Syracuse - Sam Heckel
Western Michigan - Jamauri Bogan
Staff
Scott Shirley
Rob Long
Brett Brackett
Andy Shay
John Trzeciak
Karen Kirkpatrick
Board
Scott Shirley
Keith Deaven
David Wozniak
Kerwin Stetler
Tiffini Grimes
UA Lettermen
Obi Egekeze
Chris Borland
Jake Smith
Jeff Wasilewski
Mark Herzlich
Brett Brackett
#WeTackleRare
Fri, 10/12/2018 - 15:51
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @LehighFootball participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/mMtrnH1ED9 #WeTackleRare 
Fri, 10/12/2018 - 13:06
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @NUFBFamily participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/hl8eYd0abQ #BIGCats #WeTackleRare 
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 18:41
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @StonyBrookFB participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/DhNg4G3d05 #HOWL #WeTackleRare 
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 11:54
@
UpliftingAth
Thanks so much to @PennStateFball Chapter Leader and QB @seancliff14 for speaking at the Quarterback Club luncheon yesterday about Touchdown Pledge Drive and supporting the #RareDisease Community. Learn More: https://t.co/j0ELKMBqIt #WeTackleRare 
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 11:45
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @ColgateFB participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/kye32jZZ67 #gogate #WeTackleRare 
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 19:18
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @IlliniFootball participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/K4cABn8zkJ #Illini #WeTackleRare 
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 18:12
@
UpliftingAth
Check out 2018 Young Investigator Draft at @LFFStadium in #Philadelphia video https://t.co/gd3FMK01Lg #WeTackleRare @CSLBehring @PAWWFH @PRAHSciences @SanofiGenzyme @amicusrx1 @spark_tx @RetrophinRare @ProjectALSorg @Kidz1stFund @cysticfibrosis @BrainCancerCure @CureCastleman![]()
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 16:51
@
UpliftingAth
The #RareDisease Community we serve is comprised of 30 million Americans. It's an honor to have @PUTigerFootball participate in Touchdown Pledge Drive. Good Luck this week! 🙌 LEARN MORE: https://t.co/tYNOyg4eez #T19erTown #WeTackleRare 
Sat, 10/06/2018 - 23:18
@
upliftingathletes
Congrats to the @bufootball Chapter on the victory at home against Kansas State today! It was exciting to witness the go ahead last second field goal in person, thanks for having us out to Waco! #wetacklerare
Fri, 10/05/2018 - 21:59
@
upliftingathletes
Good luck to our chapter schools that kick of their Touchdown Pledge Drive campaigns this weekend. This October every score means more! #wetacklerare
Fri, 10/05/2018 - 13:30
@
upliftingathletes
Great way to wrap up @globalgenes Rare Patient Advocacy Summit with the Rare Champions of Hope Awards! #2018ggsummit #WeTackleRare
Thu, 10/04/2018 - 23:34
@
upliftingathletes
Good luck to our chapter schools that kick of their Touchdown Pledge Drive campaigns this weekend. Every score means more this October! #wetacklerare
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ð¸ cred:
newsobserver.com
Dailyillini.com
Battle Creek Enquirer
Gocolgateraiders.com
Lehigh.edu
goprincetontigers.com
Thu, 10/04/2018 - 15:51
@
upliftingathletes
Team UA well represented at #2018ggsummit. Amazing opportuntiy to learn from and network with other rare disease advocates, industry and patients. #wetacklerare
Fri, 09/28/2018 - 13:09
@
upliftingathletes
This October Uplifting Athletes is proud to work with these chapters to make every touchdown scored mean more support for #rarediseases Check the link in the bio for how you can help! #wetacklerare
Wed, 09/26/2018 - 13:16
@
upliftingathletes
Uplifting Athletes chapters across the country will be participating in Touchdown Pledge Drive where every touchdown scored during the month of October means more! More support for the #raredisease community, awareness and research! Link to support in bio. (More teams announced Friday)
Thu, 09/20/2018 - 20:18
@
upliftingathletes
Every touchdown scored in the month of October means more; more support for the #rarediseasecommunity ! Stay tuned to find out which college footballs teams are participating in Uplifting Athletes 2018 Touchdown Pledge Drive...#wetacklerare
Thu, 09/06/2018 - 16:52
@
upliftingathletes
Congratulations to the @upliftingathletes 2018 Rare Disease Champion @shaquem_griffin being named a week 1 starter for the @seahawks!! #WeTackleRare
Fri, 08/31/2018 - 20:59
@
upliftingathletes
@cusefootball Chapter President @sheckel_75 at @wmu_football with our @algsalliance patient family! #WeTackleRare #ALGSAware Thank you for the support @cusefootball and @wmu_football!!
Corporate Champions
