Sanofi Genzyme to serve as presenting sponsor for upcoming 7,000-Mile Challenge

Uplifting Athletes Inc. is proud to announce our partnership with Sanofi Genzyme for the 2021 7,000-Mile Challenge, a 10-day awareness and fundraising event designed to inspire the Rare Disease Community with hope and to support the mission of Uplifting Athletes.

Sanofi Genzyme, who over the past 40 years has developed therapies for the treatment of many rare diseases, will serve as the Presenting Sponsor for the 7,000-Mile Challenge, happening September 17-26. 

“Sanofi Genzyme has been consistent in their steadfast support of the mission of Uplifting Athletes,” Uplifting Athletes Executive Director Rob Long said. “They stepped up this year to be the presenting sponsor of the 7,000-Mile Challenge with the belief that we can build off a tremendous inaugural event. We are thrilled to have their support and are excited to take this event to new heights together.”

Born during a challenging time last year, the 7,000-Mile Challenge is a virtual event that affords anybody and everybody the opportunity to get active to support the Rare Disease Community and the mission of Uplifting Athletes. Because of the community bond that was built, and the deeper connection to the cause that blossomed, we were inspired to make this an annual event.

7,000 miles was chosen in recognition of the more than 7,000 different rare diseases that are known today and the 10-day duration is in recognition of the 1 in 10 Americans that are impacted by a rare disease.

September 17-26 participants can complete miles by using any non-motorized form of transportation. This means you can walk, run, ride, roll, or swim to contribute miles to the 7,000-Mile Challenge. Participants can sign up as individuals, join an existing team or become a team captain and create your own team. You can participate for all 10 days, just one day or any number of days in between. The choice is yours!

To help support the mission of Uplifting Athletes, participants are encouraged to seek out supporters to contribute for each mile they cover.

The inaugural 7,000-Mile Challenge saw 376 individuals sign-up, 237 of those contributed to the 12,000-plus miles traveled and 145 people raised funds that contributed to the more than $54,000 raised to support the mission of Uplifting Athletes.

About Sanofi Genzyme

Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, focuses on rare diseases, rare blood disorders, multiple sclerosis, oncology, and immunology. We help people with debilitating and complex conditions that are often difficult to diagnose and treat. Our approach is shaped by our experience developing highly specialized treatments and forging close relationships with physician and patient communities. We are dedicated to discovering and advancing new therapies, providing hope to patients and their families around the world. Learn more at www.sanofigenzyme.com

About Uplifting Athletes

A nonprofit organization founded in 2007, Uplifting Athletes inspires the Rare Disease Community with hope through the power of sport. Uplifting Athletes fulfills its mission through a network of college football student-athlete led chapters, Uplifting Ambassadors and Team UA participants. Since its inception, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $6 million to develop Uplifting Leaders, create Uplifting Experiences, fund rare disease research and expand rare disease awareness. To learn more about Uplifting Athletes visit www.upliftingathletes.org