Uplifting Athletes
U.S. non-profit organization / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Uplifting Athletes is a non-profit organization which harnesses the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of those affected by rare diseases. The group was established in 2003 and is a 501(c)(3).
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The organization was founded in 2003 by a group of Penn State Nittany Lions football players who turned an annual weightlifting competition, Lift for Life, into a fundraiser. Wide receiver Scott Shirley's father was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2003. When Shirley turned to his teammates for support, he discovered three others also had fathers battling the disease. Because so few (less than 200,000) Americans are diagnosed with kidney cancer, funds to fight the disease are scarce.[1] Two of Shirley's teammates, offensive tackle Damone Jones and center Dave Costlow, saw an opportunity for student-athletes to use their high-profile and access to the media to promote awareness and raise funds for under-served charities. The three formed Uplifting Athletes later that year.[2]