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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 Research
      • Young Investigator Draft
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    • Rare Disease Awareness
      • My Cause, My Cleats
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      • Uplifting News/UA Blog
    • Uplifting Leaders
      • Lift For Life
      • Reps For Rare Diseases
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      • Touchdown Pledge Drive
      • UA Ambassadors

Our Team Is Growing!

Click to learn more about career opportunities with Uplifting Athletes!

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2021 Young Investigator Draft

Congratulations to the 2021 Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft Class!

 

If you missed the live draft you can view the replay by clicking watch.

 

 

 

 

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Reps for Rare Diseases

Reps for Rare Diseases gives hopeful NFL players an opportunity to share their Pro Day performance in support of the Rare Disease Community! 

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Mission

 

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

Our Programs

Rare Disease Research

Leverage public interest to cultivate resources that accelerate scientific advancements for rare diseases

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Uplifting Leaders

Develops social influencers into leaders that make a positive impact on the rare disease community

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Uplifting Leaders
Rare Disease Awareness

Shares the platform of sport with the rare disease cause and raises it as a national priority

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Uplifting Experiences

Creates special moments that enrich the lives of rare disease patients and their loved ones

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Uplifting Experiences

Our Chapters

Active

Clemson
Colgate
Davidson
Florida State
Fordham
Georgia Tech
Illinois
Lehigh University
Maryland
NC State
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Penn
Penn State
Princeton
Saint Francis
Stony Brook
Syracuse
Western Michigan

Legacy

Arizona
Boston College
Nebraska
Northern Arizona University
Ohio State
South Carolina
Washington
Wisconsin

Fundraising Initiatives

Lift For Life

Lift For Life is the original fundraising event that
launched Uplifitng Athletes! The event was
inspired by Don Shirley's battle with a rare
cancer. Now, college football teams across the
country participate in the right-of-passage to
benefit the rare disease community!

$173,801.69 Amount Raised
154 Campaigns
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Lift For Life

Touchdown Pledge Drive

Touchdown Pledge Drive brings awareness and helps raise funds while capitalizing on what our students-athletes do best during our most visible time of the year, college football season.

$18,488.00 Amount Raised
6 Teams
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UA Ambassadors

The UA Ambassador program empowers individual athletes to support the Rare Disease Community by raising money and awareness with their performance. Opportunities include Reps for Rare Diseases at the NFL Combine and/or Pro Day workouts, the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats campaign, and anything else you can imagine!

$67,188.76 Amount Raised
60 Campaigns
Learn More
Penn State's Mike Gesicki at the NFL Combine

Team UA

We are inviting athletes from across the country to support our mission by holding a pledge-based event to raise money for Uplifting Athletes. This program is open to all sports and all levels! Simply click create your campaign below to get started and a member of our staff will reach out to you to help make it a success.

$39,693.38 Amount Raised
49 Campaigns
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Uplifting Events & Awareness Campaigns

My Cause, My Cleats

Date: Weeks 13-15 2018
Location: NFL Stadiums

 

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Rare Disease Champion

Date: December 6, 2018
Location: College Football Hall of Fame (Atlanta, GA)

 

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Young Investigator Draft

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2020
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.

 

 

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Reps for Rare Diseases

Date: February-March 2019
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

 

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Uplifting News

Executive Director Rob Long chosen by NORD as 2021 Rare Impact Award honoree
Posted on Friday February 26, 2021
Uplifting Athletes Executive Director Rob Long has been chosen as a 2021 Rare Impact Award honoree by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). The Rare Impact Awards celebrate the individuals, groups and companies making extraordinary strides on behalf of the millions of Americans impacted by rare disease. “Despite the pandemic and the challenges we […] Continue Reading »
2020 Rare Disease Champion Team: Learn more about Northwestern defensive tackle Joe Spivak and what his inspiration means to a rare disease patient
Posted on Friday February 12, 2021
Joe Spivak University: Northwestern University Vitals: 6-0, 300 pounds, senior, defensive lineman Quick Hits: 2020: A natural leader, Joe was a three-time captain in high school, becoming the first sophomore football player chosen as a captain at Esmark High School in Chicago. Joe has appeared in 36 games for the Wildcats since his true freshman […] Continue Reading »
2020 Rare Disease Champion Team: Learn more about Austin Peay defensive lineman Josephus Smith’s rare courage and commitment
Posted on Thursday February 11, 2021
Josephus Smith University: Austin Peay State University Vitals: 5-9, 285 pounds, senior, defensive tackle Quick Hits: Josephus had a breakout 2019 in his second season with APSU after transferring from Miles College in Alabama. The three-time member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll earned first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors after posting 18.5 tackles for a […] Continue Reading »
2020 Rare Disease Champion Team: Learn more about Stanford head coach David Shaw and the rare bond with his younger brother
Posted on Wednesday February 10, 2021
David Shaw University: Stanford University Vitals: Head Football Coach Quick Hits: The 1995 Stanford graduate is the fifth alum to hold the position of head football coach. David is the 34th head coach in program history and just completed his 10th season at his alma mater. He is the winningest coach in program history with […] Continue Reading »
2020 Rare Disease Champion Team: Learn more about Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper overcoming his rare cancer battle to shine on the field
Posted on Tuesday February 09, 2021
Rex Culpepper University: Syracuse University Vitals: 6-3, 221 pounds, senior, quarterback Quick Hits: A native of Florida who has a vast arsenal of talents and interests off the field, Rex persevered to become the Orange starting quarterback the second half of the 2020 season. The three-time ACC Honor Roll and seven-time SU Athletic Director’s Honor […] Continue Reading »
2020 Rare Disease Champion Team: Learn more about Syracuse punter Nolan Cooney using his experience as a rare cancer survivor to inspire hope
Posted on Monday February 08, 2021
Nolan Cooney University: Syracuse University Vitals: 6-3, 202 pounds, senior, punter Quick Hits: Nolan had a rare cancer scare in high school that gave him a different perspective on patience and made waiting four years to become the No. 1 punter for the Orange no problem. The four-time ACC Honor Roll and six-time Syracuse Athletic […] Continue Reading »
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 »

#WeTackleRare

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 20:31
@ UpliftingAth
A great interview in front of @NFL scouts for our last Reps For Rare Diseases participant. Congrats…
Fri, 04/09/2021 - 20:29
@ UpliftingAth
➡️ Uplifting Ambassador
Fri, 04/09/2021 - 13:29
@ UpliftingAth
Welcome to the team, @MossaAdele, PhD, from the @IcahnMountSinai ! Nominated by @ddx3x, Dr. Mossa has been presente…
Thu, 04/08/2021 - 14:19
@ UpliftingAth
Please join us in congratulating @Qinglan_Ling, PhD, from @UTSWNews, on her selection to our 2021 Young Investigato…
Wed, 04/07/2021 - 18:50
@ UpliftingAth
The team at Uplifting Athletes is growing! Go to https://t.co/OAZal9mwWt to learn more!
Wed, 04/07/2021 - 18:02
@ UpliftingAth
Love to see this! Congrats to our own @MMarchese24, well deserved!
Wed, 04/07/2021 - 14:10
@ UpliftingAth
Please join us in congratulating @DrSarahSheppard, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on her selection t…
Tue, 04/06/2021 - 12:01
@ UpliftingAth
@big_ave21 We love to see it! Congrats on a great pro day and thanks for helping us tackle #rarediseases!
Mon, 04/05/2021 - 21:30
@ UpliftingAth
We are honored to recognize the first of our seven #raredisease researchers that were drafted at the 2021 Young Inv…
Mon, 04/05/2021 - 20:37
@ UpliftingAth
RT @theheartofsport: Lots of #baseball ⚾️, #hockey🏒 and #basketball 🏀 to talk on the show today. Then we will be joined by #NFL 🏈 @BuffaloB…
Sun, 04/04/2021 - 03:02
@ UpliftingAth
RT @thezach_smith: @TulsaFootball Pro Day was a huge success! Thank you everyone who supported my @UpliftingAth Reps For Rare Diseases camp…
Sat, 04/03/2021 - 18:05
@ UpliftingAth
Thank you to the @NFL Uplifting Ambassadors who joined us to introduce the 2021 Young Investigator Draft Class!…
Sat, 04/03/2021 - 13:58
@ UpliftingAth
Let’s go! Good luck today! #WeTackleRare
Fri, 04/02/2021 - 21:20
@ UpliftingAth
RT @Royals: The guy can do it all.
Fri, 04/02/2021 - 17:23
@ UpliftingAth
Sending profound gratitude to our event sponsors who made the 2021 Young Investigator Draft possible! @CSLBehring…
Fri, 04/02/2021 - 14:40
@ UpliftingAth
@BradyBreeze thank you for being an advocate for the #RareDiseaseCommunity and dedicating one of the biggest days o…
Thu, 04/01/2021 - 23:05
@ UpliftingAth
Thank you to all who tuned in to our 2021 Young Investigator Draft! If you are still interested in watching the exc…
Thu, 04/01/2021 - 20:59
@ UpliftingAth
Hey that’s our @KentStFootball chapter President!

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