Second Annual 'Lift for Life' to Benefit Brain Cancer Research
7/23/2014 2:53:00 PM | Football
On July 25, the Syracuse football team will continue on its mission to raise awareness about brain cancer, something that affected the Orange in recent years. For the second summer in a row, the Syracuse University chapter of Uplifting Athletes will be hosting a Lift for Life event to raise money for Anaplastic Astrocytoma; an uncommon form of brain cancer that former Syracuse punter Rob Long battled during his senior year with the Orange in 2010-11.
Uplifting Athletes is a national nonprofit organization that links college football and rare diseases through a current network of 22 university chapters. The Syracuse chapter, established in 2013 by senior long snapper Sam Rodgers and former teammate and long snapper Eric Morris '14, has already raised more than $9,000 that has been donated for research and grant funding. With the success the chapter has had in its first year of life, the team is looking to build on the momentum heading into this year's fundraising efforts.
The first chapter of Uplifting Athletes started at Penn State in 2013 after Penn State football player Scott Shirley's father was diagnosed with kidney cancer; a cancer that little could be done with because the disease lacked the finances needed to make and market new treatments. Because of that, the mission behind Uplifting Athletes heavily focuses on raising the awareness of rare diseases that affect less than 200,000 Americans. Each campus chapter is run by football student-athletes who work to elevate and generate awareness towards their chosen disease, giving student-athletes the opportunity to make the cause relevant to them.
"It's fun in the second year seeing more people on the team really understand what it is all about and the opportunity we have," Rodgers said. "I have really enjoyed watching younger guys step up in leadership roles this year with our Lift for Life."
The 2014 Lift for Life event will take place during the max out lifting in the weight room. The entire team will participate in the competition between offense, defense, and specialists to see which unit can lift the most weight. The main competition, however, will focus on which group can raise the most money, which is one of the elements factored into the final score.
The addition of special teams to the competition is one of the main differences between last year's and this year's Lift for Life, Rodgers said. The long snapper is confident they can compete by raising a lot of money, despite having fewer participants than the offense and defense.
Since the contest will be held as part of regular team workouts in the weight room at Manley Field House, the event is not open to the public.
In a prelude to the Lift for Life event, sophomore quarterback Austin Wilson, junior wide receiver Ben Lewis, and sophomore tight end Tyler Provo participated in the 20th Annual Brite 3 Charity Golf Outing in Harrisburg, Pa. in July. As representatives of the Syracuse Chapter of Uplifting Athletes, the pair raised $500 towards the cause.
Wilson, who spearheaded the idea to participate in the golf tournament, is connected to Uplifting Athletes in a few ways. He says he was motivated to get involved with the chapter here at Syracuse after seeing some of the work that was done at the Penn State chapter, where his brother, Bryce, serves on the Executive Board. In addition, Scott Shirley, the founder of Uplifting Athletes, attended the same high school as Wilson (East Pennsboro Area HS).
"To me Uplifting Athletes is an amazing way for our team to realize the influence we have on this community," Rodgers said. "Over the last year since Eric and I started it last year it continues to challenge me to use the opportunity I have as a college football player to make a difference in the community."
For those interested in making a donation, click here. Checks can also be made payable to Uplifting Athletes and sent to 'Uplifting Athletes' c/o Syracuse Football, Manley Field house South, 1301 E. Colvin Street, Syracuse NY, 13210.
Uplifting Athletes is a national nonprofit organization aligning college football with rare diseases and raising them as a national priority through outreach, research, education and advocacy.
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Uplifting Athletes is a national nonprofit organization that links college football and rare diseases through a current network of 22 university chapters. The Syracuse chapter, established in 2013 by senior long snapper Sam Rodgers and former teammate and long snapper Eric Morris '14, has already raised more than $9,000 that has been donated for research and grant funding. With the success the chapter has had in its first year of life, the team is looking to build on the momentum heading into this year's fundraising efforts.
The first chapter of Uplifting Athletes started at Penn State in 2013 after Penn State football player Scott Shirley's father was diagnosed with kidney cancer; a cancer that little could be done with because the disease lacked the finances needed to make and market new treatments. Because of that, the mission behind Uplifting Athletes heavily focuses on raising the awareness of rare diseases that affect less than 200,000 Americans. Each campus chapter is run by football student-athletes who work to elevate and generate awareness towards their chosen disease, giving student-athletes the opportunity to make the cause relevant to them.
"It's fun in the second year seeing more people on the team really understand what it is all about and the opportunity we have," Rodgers said. "I have really enjoyed watching younger guys step up in leadership roles this year with our Lift for Life."
The 2014 Lift for Life event will take place during the max out lifting in the weight room. The entire team will participate in the competition between offense, defense, and specialists to see which unit can lift the most weight. The main competition, however, will focus on which group can raise the most money, which is one of the elements factored into the final score.
The addition of special teams to the competition is one of the main differences between last year's and this year's Lift for Life, Rodgers said. The long snapper is confident they can compete by raising a lot of money, despite having fewer participants than the offense and defense.
Since the contest will be held as part of regular team workouts in the weight room at Manley Field House, the event is not open to the public.
In a prelude to the Lift for Life event, sophomore quarterback Austin Wilson, junior wide receiver Ben Lewis, and sophomore tight end Tyler Provo participated in the 20th Annual Brite 3 Charity Golf Outing in Harrisburg, Pa. in July. As representatives of the Syracuse Chapter of Uplifting Athletes, the pair raised $500 towards the cause.
Wilson, who spearheaded the idea to participate in the golf tournament, is connected to Uplifting Athletes in a few ways. He says he was motivated to get involved with the chapter here at Syracuse after seeing some of the work that was done at the Penn State chapter, where his brother, Bryce, serves on the Executive Board. In addition, Scott Shirley, the founder of Uplifting Athletes, attended the same high school as Wilson (East Pennsboro Area HS).
"To me Uplifting Athletes is an amazing way for our team to realize the influence we have on this community," Rodgers said. "Over the last year since Eric and I started it last year it continues to challenge me to use the opportunity I have as a college football player to make a difference in the community."
For those interested in making a donation, click here. Checks can also be made payable to Uplifting Athletes and sent to 'Uplifting Athletes' c/o Syracuse Football, Manley Field house South, 1301 E. Colvin Street, Syracuse NY, 13210.
Uplifting Athletes is a national nonprofit organization aligning college football with rare diseases and raising them as a national priority through outreach, research, education and advocacy.
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