They spend the majority of the year uplifting others. On Saturday Night, the Uplifting Athletes organization dresses up and celebrates their continued success fighting rare diseases with their third Gridiron Gala. The event was held at the State Museum in Harrisburg with a VIP reception before in the Capitol Rotunda. The gala is a black-tie tailgate with former college football stars and live entertainment.
Former Penn State player Scott Shirley started the organization a decade ago to help fight kidney cancer. Today, Uplifting Athletes has 20 chapters at major college football programs across the country. All of them have adopted their own rare disease to help fund and support. Penn State’s annual lift for life is the event most closely associated with Uplifting Athletes. The organization has already surpassed two million dollars raised to support the fight against rare diseases.