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Mission:
Inspire the Rare Disease Community with hope through the power of sport


Vision:
Empower people to take action against rare diseases and be a catalyst for the medical community to find cures

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Rare Disease Awareness

Featured Here: PSU uniforms promoting Uplifting Athletes

The Rare Disease Awareness program shares the platform of sport with the rare disease cause and raises it as a national priority.   

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Rare Disease Awareness

Rare Disease Champion

Rare Disease Champion

 

The Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion is given annually to a leader in college football who has realized his or her potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community.

An awareness campaign powered by Uplifting Athletes, the Rare Disease Champion is determined by college football fans and the rare disease community through online voting. The award is presented to the winner at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala in Atlantic City, NJ, and celebrated at Uplifting Athletes’ Young Investigator Draft in Philadelphia, PA.

Sculpted by world-renowned artist Brian Hanlon, the Rare Disease Champion trophy is in the likeness of Mark Herzlich, the former Boston College and current New York Giants linebacker who provided the inspiration for the award after overcoming a life-threatening battle with the rare disease Ewing’s sarcoma in 2009.

Learn more here.

Rare Disease Awareness Games

Rare Disease Awareness Games

Every year during spring scrimmages and regular season games, university chapters plan numerous activities to inspire the rare disease community with hope through the power of sport. Some of our favorite examples include Uplifting Athletes branded footballs, helmet stickers, jersey patches, wristbands, and promotional videos!

 

Uplifting Athletes branded football

News

Chapter Update: Northwestern finishes off magical year with a victory and three other teams close out 2020 season
Posted on Monday January 04, 2021
Northwestern capped off a memorable 2020 season by winning its fourth consecutive bowl game with a victory over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. The Big Ten West champions used an offensive explosion that produced the most passing (291) and total yards (457) this season. Wildcats linebacker Paddy Fisher posted a game-high 12 tackles to become […] Continue Reading »
Chapter Update: Clemson claims sixth straight ACC crown and Penn State finishes strong to highlight Week 15
Posted on Monday December 21, 2020
Clemson continued its dominance of the ACC, winning its sixth consecutive outright Conference title by controlling fellow chapter school Notre Dame in the championship game. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who improved to 34-1 as a starter, was named game MVP on the strength of his 412 total yards (322 passing, 90 rushing) and three touchdowns. […] Continue Reading »
Meet the five inspiring leaders on the 2020 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team
Posted on Monday December 21, 2020
Uplifting Athletes is pleased to announce the 2020 Rare Disease Champion Team. For more than a dozen years, Uplifting Athletes has celebrated leaders in college football that have made a positive and lasting impact on the Rare Disease Community through its Rare Disease Champion initiative. The five members of the 2020 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease […] Continue Reading »
Carrying the burden of a rare genetic gene drove Seth Rotberg to a life helping others
Posted on Friday December 18, 2020
He was just 20 years old when he learned his future would be cut short by the same disease that was robbing life from his mother. Seth Rotberg carried that burden alone, until a pair of tragedies showed him the time he had left was best spent honestly and in service to others.  A decade […] Continue Reading »
Beyond The Trophy 2020: Get to know Penn Chapter Vice President and linebacker Brian O’Neill
Posted on Thursday December 17, 2020
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: Brian O’Neill College: University of Pennsylvania Height, weight, class, position: 6-2, 240-pound, senior, linebacker High School: West Essex Regional High School in Roseland, New Jersey About Brian: […] Continue Reading »
Chapter Update: Honoring FBS senior chapter leaders and three teams post Week 14 victories
Posted on Monday December 14, 2020
As the 2020 college football season winds down, Uplifting Athletes would like to honor the contribution of nine veteran FBS chapter leaders in service to the Rare Disease Community. Thank you to Nolan Cooney of Syracuse, Thomas Ruocchio and Dylan Autenrieth of NC State, Michael Marchese of Illinois, Will Spiers of Clemson, Jack DeFoor of […] Continue Reading »
Beyond The Trophy 2020: Get to know Stony Brook Chapter Vice President and offensive lineman Kyle Nunez
Posted on Thursday December 10, 2020
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: Kyle Nunez College: Stony Brook Height, weight, class, position: 6-2, 340-pound, redshirt junior, offensive line High School: East Islip High School in East Islip, New York About […] Continue Reading »
Chapter Update: Historical victory for Penn State and three other schools post Week 13 wins
Posted on Monday December 07, 2020
Penn State became the ninth program in college football to win 900 games with its road triumph over Rutgers. It was the Nittany Lions’ second win in a row in their 134th season. Running the football has been the formula for recent Penn State success offensively, as the Nittany Lions eclipsed 245-plus yards for the […] Continue Reading »
Beyond The Trophy: Get to know Western Michigan Chapter Vice President and safety Jake Moertl
Posted on Thursday December 03, 2020
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: Jake Moertl College: Western Michigan Height, weight, class, position: 6-0, 195-pound, junior, safety High School: Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois About Jake: The Illinois native found […] Continue Reading »
Chapter Update: Baylor rallies to win in dramatic fashion and six other teams record Week 12 victories
Posted on Monday November 30, 2020
Baylor snapped its five-game slide in dramatic fashion, using a 30-yard John Mayers field goal as time expired to come from behind and beat Kansas State by a point. The Bears twice overcame nine-point, fourth-quarter deficits and scored the final 10 points, including driving 57 yards in 10 plays to set up the winning kick. […] Continue Reading »

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All Rights Reserved •
Uplifting Athletes is a 501(c)3
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