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 Kyle: Kyle Nunez has been an impact player on the field the last two seasons for Stony Brook and now is looking to make an impact serving the Rare Disease Community. Kyle participated in the Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life in 2019 and volunteered to assume a leadership role. He attended the 2020 Leadership Development Conference and his leadership played a key role in Stony Brook holding a successful 2020 Lift For Life in support of the rare disease cause. A native of New York, Kyle has played in 24 straight games at right guard for the Seawolves including 17 starts up front. He’s a two-time second team All-CAA selection and in 2018 was named HERO Sports Freshman All-American.
What is your most memorable experience as a college football player?
NUNEZ: Seeing my family in the stands every game I play.
What drove you to get involved with Uplifting Athletes?
NUNEZ: I want to create an impact in any way I can for people in need.
What have you learned from your experience with Uplifting Athletes?
NUNEZ: No one fights alone, any contribution I can make to help spread awareness for rare diseases makes a difference.
What advice would you share with someone in high school looking to play college football?
NUNEZ: Visit every school you possibly can then figure out which school fits you and only you the best.
Who is your favorite NFL player and why?
NUNEZ: Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward because his love for the game was unmatched.
If you could have lunch with any one person (dead or alive), who would you choose and why?
NUNEZ: My grandmother. I would do anything to have the opportunity to see her just one more time.
Nearly 30 million Americans are living with a rare disease and COVID-19 continues to present a myriad of challenges that is not only impacting the patients but their families and caregivers as well.
At the top of the list is reduced access to vital medical care which, in turn, has exacerbated already existing challenges. Among those already existing challenges include an accurate diagnosis of a complex disease, limited treatment protocol options, financial struggles, absence of hope and mental fatigue for patients, families and caregivers.
“I don’t think you need to have a rare disease to have had all of this impact you mentally,” said Dr. Justin Hopkin, the father of a son with a rare disease and a rare disease advocate. “Managing the mental aspect of all this has been difficult for everybody. Finances, jobs, social issues … all those things have weighed heavily on most of us, but we know it’s been especially hard on those living with a rare disease.”
The isolation some Americans are feeling as we navigate the obstacle course of this pandemic is how some rare disease patients feel everyday.
Since March, medical research on diseases other than COVID-19 has taken a huge hit. There have been countless research studies abandoned, suspended or postponed.
Much is still unanswered about the ultimate impact the pandemic will have on clinical trials, too. That’s because it is unclear how many of these studies will eventually restart and how long it will be before they begin again.
Clinical trials play a critical role physically and mentally for rare disease patients. They show researchers and doctors what does and doesn’t work, and are a critical vehicle for rare disease patients to receive or obtain life altering therapy.
A clinical trial being delayed, interrupted or canceled can be a tipping point for a rare disease patient . They don’t have the luxury in most cases of multiple clinical trials. And the delay, interruption or cancelation of that trial jeopardizes any hope they might have had and could even be life threatening.
All this is going to lead to a healthcare system already pushed to its extreme limits by this pandemic becoming backed up and slowed even more. And it will directly and adversely impact a Rare Disease Community that faces an uphill climb under optimal conditions.
“Like everyone else, what we are hearing from the patients in our community has been tough,” said Kathi Luis, a rare disease advocate. “There was a lot of hopelessness, without their rehab, medication, treatments, clinical trials delayed or canceled … they didn’t have any hope. They are really defeated.”
In April, the National Organization For Rare Diseases (NORD) reached out to patients to gauge the best way to guide support and help for the Rare Disease Community.
Nearly 800 people responded to the survey from NORD’s research team and the results were made public last month.
95 percent of the respondents said they have been impacted at a cost to both their immediate and long-term health and well-being. Nearly three-quarters have had a medical appointment canceled and, of those, 65 percent were offered an alternative appointment via phone or video. 69 percent of the respondents have concerns about medication and medical supply shortages.
“Treating rare and medically complex cases like mine takes multimodal approaches. Remove one piece of the puzzle and the care patients receive results in sub-optimal outcomes. COVID-19 further exposed a glaring problem in the healthcare system by asking us what defines essential medical treatments,” said Marni Cartelli, a rare disease patient. “What if a treatment on its face doesn’t keep someone alive but is supplemental to one that does? Also, we must ask ourselves, is keeping someone alive the only essential medical service? What about keeping someone’s ability to feed themselves? These are all questions I ask myself every single day but society only had to ask itself in this pandemic.”
The time for action to support the Rare Disease Community is now. As we all adjust to what is the most recent new normal, the mental fatigue associated with the unknown for rare disease patients continues.
Uplifting Athletes is proud to announce the inaugural 7,000 Mile Challenge – a 10-day event starting July 17th that will bring focus and attention to the more than 7,000 known rare diseases.
People affected by a rare disease are fighting against a finite clock that didn’t stop because of COVID-19. We’re letting the Rare Disease Community know that we won’t stop fighting for them!
“We are rallying our extensive network behind one initiative this summer so that we can continue to support our friends and partners in the Rare Disease Community,” Uplifting Athletes Executive Director Rob Long said. “Our team has worked hard to find a way to afford everyone the opportunity to take action and help the Rare Disease Community.”
It does not matter whether you are a casual walker, an avid runner, swimmer or roll on wheels of any kind, you can help make a difference for the Rare Disease Community. To participate in the 7,000-Mile challenge join an existing team, create a new team for you and others, or participate as an individual.
Track and add your mileage to the collective Uplifting Athletes total using any single day or combination of days throughout the 10-day challenge. You can collect pledges for every mile you contribute to the challenge to support the mission of Uplifting Athletes.
Join Uplifting Athletes wherever you are July 17th to 26th and rally your support for the Rare Disease Community through activity, donation or both!
To pre-register and start helping Uplifting Athletes Tackle Rare Diseases, visit upliftingathletes.org. Now is a time for action so no one in the Rare Disease Community lives without hope.
Proceeds from the 7,000 Mile Challenge support the mission of Uplifting Athletes and its charitable programs: Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Leaders and Uplifting Experiences.
Any questions about the 7,000 Mile Challenge, please send an email to info@uplitingathletes.org.
COVID-19 has led to many adjustments of the college athletic schedule. The football student-athletes and programs Uplifting Athletes work with face a condensed time frame to prepare for the upcoming season under heightened safety precautions.
In order to avoid any additional pressure, Uplifting Athletes made the decision to cancel all our annual Lift For Life events this summer.
On behalf of the Rare Disease Community Uplifting Athletes serves, thank you to everyone who has supported Lift For Life in the past. We look forward to a full Lift For Life schedule in 2021.
Lift For Life is the signature event for universities across the country that are part of the Uplifting Athletes nationwide network of chapters.
It is more important than ever for Uplifting Athletes to be there for our friends and family affected by Rare Diseases. Please stay tuned for a big announcement on Monday June 22 on how you can help rally support for the Rare Disease Community this summer.
The Stony Brook Chapter of Uplifting Athletes will hold its annual Lift For Life to support the Rare Disease Community on Sunday, March 8th.
Lift For Life is the signature fundraising event for the Stony Brook Chapter of Uplifting Athletes. Stony Brook is a part of Uplifting Athletes’ nationwide network of chapters led by college football student-athletes.
Each chapter embraces the mission of Uplifting Athletes by using college football as a platform to inspire the Rare Disease Community with hope through the power of sport.
The 2020 Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life will be a competition featuring a medicine ball toss competition between six football student-athlete led fundraising teams.
Fans and supporters can pledge every yard of the longest medicine ball toss for each team. So choose your favorite team comprised of Seawolves players and visit the Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life fundraising page to pledge now! You can also make a flat donation to any team.
The proceeds from the 2020 Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life support the mission of Uplifting Athletes and its charitable programs: Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Experiences and Uplifting Leaders.
Today, the challenges faced by the Rare Disease Community are bigger than any one individual, team or organization can tackle alone. The Stony Brook Chapter, along with a nationwide network of teams, is uniquely positioned to educate and engage the local community to shine a spotlight on rare diseases.
The Stony Brook Chapter started tackling rare diseases in 2014 when it joined Uplifting Athletes. Their inspiration comes from the long-term relationship between Seawolves head football coach Chuck Priore and a rare disease patient, Joey Ferminella. That relationship between our program and Joey continues to serve as an inspiration for all of us.
Please support the Stony Brook Chapter and help the Seawolves reach their impressive $6,000 team Lift For Life goal.
The cornerstone of the Uplifting Leaders program is our network of Chapters on campuses across the country led by college football student-athletes.
This past weekend, 39 leaders from 20 schools gathered in Atlanta for a high impact and fast paced weekend of learning and development during our 11th annual Uplifting Athletes Leadership Development Conference.
The 2020 conference provided an opportunity for our Chapter leadership to develop relationships that stretch beyond the football field, to absorb enhanced mission and vision insight based on Uplifting Athletes’ four programs – Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Experiences and Uplifting Leaders – and to plot a chapter strategy for 2020.
“The difference for me this year was it’s a new group of guys mostly, but you establish similar quality of relationships,” said Clemson Chapter leader and Tigers’ long snapper Jack Maddox, who was attending his second conference. “I have a year of experience now, so I know more about what’s going on. I’m not overwhelmed as much and I know what we can and can’t do at our chapter. It’s such a valuable weekend.”
Following a meet-and-greet dinner Friday night, the conference kicked off Saturday with a full day of programming. Four breakout sessions led by Uplifting Athletes staff were followed by an “entering the real world” question-and-answer session with former college athletes.
The highlight of Saturday was the Uplifting Experience at the College Football Hall of Fame where 24 rare disease patients, caregivers and families were connected with the Chapter leaders to spend a couple hours experiencing the Hall of Fame together.
“I loved that the athletes had an opportunity to meet individuals with rare diseases outside of a hospital setting,” said Carol Unger, whose 32-year-old son Matthew is diagnosed with the ultra rare disease WAGR Syndrome. “I feel it is important to note that our children grow up, although some may still be at the maturity level of a 7 or 8 year old, and cherish those opportunities to meet with folks from the outside world.”
The first day of the conference closed out with a work session on three of Uplifting Athletes’ main events – Lift For Life, Reps For Rare Diseases and Touchdown Pledge Drive.
“Since Penn State is such an established chapter, my journey here is to learn what else can we do next to help support the Rare Disease Community,” said Penn State Chapter leader and long snapper Chris Stoll, who is in line to be the next PSU Chapter President taking over for quarterback Sean Clifford.
“I’m very excited to be more involved at another level. Sean did a great job and put a lot into it. But he’s our starting quarterback now and that’s a big job. I’m pumped to be here again and to meet so many guys who have passion for the rare disease cause and for using their platform to make a difference. And I’m very excited to get more involved at the next level.”
Sunday started with Dr. David Fajgenbaum, a former Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft grant recipient, founder of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network and rare disease research pioneer, sharing his story via a live video conference.
The conference wrapped up with some additional highlights of Uplifting Athletes’ programming that is available to support the rare disease cause and a work session to kick off 2020 at the chapter level.
A special thank you to all our sponsors and supporters who made this conference possible, Deloitte, Sanofi Genzyme, Jean Campbell and JFC Consulting and the College Football Hall of Fame. With your help, these young men are making a difference in the Rare Disease Community.
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: Zach Lucas
College: Stony Brook
University
Height,
weight, class, position: 6-4, 240-pound, redshirt senior, tight end
High School: Old Tappan High
School, Northvale, N.J.
About Zach: Each of the last
three seasons has appeared in double-digit games for the Seawolves and will
finish his career with nearly 35 appearances. Two years ago he appeared in 11
games on special teams, last season he saw action in the same number of games
at tight end and recorded his first collegiate reception. This season the New
Jersey native has made nine catches for 71 yards – both career-high numbers. Zach participated in the Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life
before joining the leadership team in 2018. He learned the details behind
running a chapter and the importance of the Rare Disease Community to the
SeaWolves’ football program. He took over as the Chapter President in 2019 and
attended the Leadership Development Conference in January of 2019 before
overseeing the Stony Brook Chapter Lift For Life this past spring.
What
is your most memorable experience as a college football player?
LUCAS: My most
memorable experience as a college football player was my first career start. I
was faced with trials and tribulations but ultimately overcame them to become a
starting tight end for Stony Brook.
What drove you to get involved with Uplifting
Athletes?
LUCAS: As a college football player we
have a platform to create change and help others.
What
have you learned from your experience with Uplifting Athletes?
LUCAS: I
learned to appreciate the little things more. Getting to meet people with rare
diseases it was inspiring. From the joyful spirit about life you couldn’t even
tell all the pain and suffering them have been to. It was incredible.
What
advice would you share with someone in high school looking to play college
football?
LUCAS: You
have to take advantage of the opportunity. The life lessons you learn and
relationships you build will last a lifetime. It isn’t always easy, but it’s
unmatched to anything I’ve been a part of.
Who
is your favorite NFL player and why?
LUCAS: Tom Brady. He is the GOAT!
If
you could have lunch with any one person (dead or alive), who would you choose
and why?
LUCAS: Warren Buffet; I would love to
absorb some of the knowledge about finances and life from him.
Stony Brook roared back from an 18-point halftime deficit capped
by kicker Nick Courtney’s 22-yard field goal as time expired to upset FCS No. 5
ranked Villanova.
The road victory marks the second time in program history the
Seawolves beat a team ranked in the Top 5. Stony
Brook defeated No. 2 Richmond in 2016.
Stony Brook scored 10 points in the final 92
seconds after trailing 35-20 midway through the fourth quarter. The Seawolves
scored the final 16 points.
Quarterback Tyquell Fields was instrumental in
the rally, throwing for a career-best 321 yards with one passing TD and a pair
of rushing touchdowns. His 1-yard plunge with 1:32 to play pulled the Seawolves
to within 35-33 after a failed two-point conversion.
Stony Brook then used all its timeouts and forced the Wildcats to punt with 21 seconds to play. The Seawolves connected on a 40-yard completion from Fields to Nick Anderson in the dying seconds to set up the game winning field goal by Courtney.
Lehigh: For the third straight game the Mountain Hawks’ fate came down to
the final play of the game. And for the third straight time Lehigh walked away
with a victory. Austin Henning’s 27-yard field goal as time expired lifted
Leigh to 3-0 in the Patriot League with a home victory over Georgetown. The
Hoyas rallied with a 72-yard touchdown bomb on fourth-and-4 and added a
two-point conversion to tie it up at 24 with 1:23 to play. Lehigh answered by
calmly traveling 59 yards in eight plays to set up the winning kick. Lehigh
Chapter President and wide receiver Jorge Portorreal posted a team-high eight
catches for 103 yards to help the Mountain Hawks win their fourth in a row.
Q4 – 0:00 | IT'S GOOOOOOOOOD!!!! Austin Henning's 27 yard field goal is right through the middle and Lehigh wins it, 27-24! What a finish! #GoLehighpic.twitter.com/7omh8yjX2r
Penn State: Nittany Lions quarterback and Penn State Chapter President Sean
Clifford threw four touchdown passes, three of them to tight end Pat
Freiermuth, as the undefeated Nittany Lions posted a 21-point soggy and rain
swept victory at Michigan State. Penn State is 8-0 for the first time since
2008, is 5-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2011 and moved up to No. 5
in the rankings. The Nittany Lions defense produced three turnovers, limited
the Spartans to seven points and broke up eight passes.
Marist: Redshirt freshman running back Hunter Cobb ran for 178 yards and
a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries and the Red Foxes defense forced a pair of
turnovers to upset Davidson on the road in North Carolina. The Red Foxes
defense limited the No. 3 FCS rushing offense in the country to 202 yards on 46
carries. Cobb’s 89-yard touchdown run in the third quarter is the
fourth-longest touchdown run by a Red Fox in the program’s 27-year FCS history
and the longest in the last seven years and earned him the Uplifting Athletes
Rare Performance of the Week.
Western Michigan: Senior running back LeVante Bellamy posted a
career-high four touchdowns and rushed for 178 yards to lead a Broncos ground
game that rolled up nearly 400 yards and six touchdowns in their victory over
Bowling Green. Junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward led a WMU defense that limited
the Falcons to only 266 total yards with 13 tackles (10 solo), two sacks and
three tackles for a loss.
Illinois: The Illini rushed for a season-high 242 yards and its defense
forced a pair of turnovers in the rain-soaked victory at Purdue. Senior RB Dre
Brown had a career-high 131 yards on the ground to help Illinois win its second
in a row and get to 4-4 overall. Junior cornerback Tony Adams became the first Illini with interceptions in
back-to-back Big Ten games since Vontae Davis and Kevin Mitchell both did
it against Penn State and Wisconsin in 2007.
Clemson: Running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Diondre Overton
each scored three touchdowns as the undefeated Tigers extended their winning
streak to 23 games with a 52-point victory over Boston College on homecoming at
Memorial Stadium. Clemson’s defense held the No. 6 ranked rushing offense in
the country to only 96 yards on the ground, scored a touchdown on a fumble
return and had eight tackles for a loss.
Princeton: Led by a defense that produced three interceptions that led to 17
points, the Tigers rallied in the second half to overtake Harvard for win No.
16 in a row. Tigers quarterback Kevin Davidson threw for 312 yards and three
touchdowns and linebacker Jeremiah Taylor had one of those interceptions and a
team-high 13 tackles.
Florida State: Seminoles running
back Cam Akers rushed for 144 yards, completed a couples pass for 26 yards out
of the “wildcat” formation and tied a school record for rushing touchdowns in a
game with four to lead FSU to a homecoming victory over Syracuse.
Baylor redshirt freshman kicker John Mayers
missed a 38-yard field goal early in the game, but drilled one from the same
distance into a stiff wind with just 21 seconds remaining to propel the Bears
to 4-0 overall with the victory in their Big 12 opener over Iowa State.
Late in the third quarter, the Bears led 20-0
before the Cyclones offense caught fire and ripped off 21 unanswered points on
three consecutive drives to surge in front with 3:45 to play.
Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer rallied his
squad with a clutch 13-play, 54-yard drive that set up the winning field goal.
Brewer was 7-of-10 on the decisive drive and converted three times on third-down
plays.
The Bears have won six straight games (dating back to 2018 season)
for the first time since opening the 2016 season 6-0.
Penn State: Sophomore quarterback Sean
Clifford had a career night and set a school record in only his fourth start.
The Penn State Chapter President set personal records for yards passing (398)
and completions (26) and he set a school record for passing yards in a half
with 287 in the blowout of Maryland. Clifford also scored the first
rushing touchdown of his career on the Nittany Lions first snap from scrimmage.
The shutout by the Penn State defense was the first at Maryland since 1970.
Penn: Senior running back Karekin
Brooks scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs covering 2 and 31 yards
to seal a road victory at Lafayette for the Quakers’ first win of the season.
Penn was nursing a four-point lead entering the final 15 minutes before Brooks
found the end zone twice. He finished with 202 yards on 29 carries.
Brooks’ 202-yard game was the third 200-plus yard
game of his career and in the process he became the first player in program
history to post three career 200-plus yard games to earn the Uplifting Athletes
Rare Performance of the Week.
Western Michigan:
The Victory Cannon will stay in Kalamazoo for the seventh time in the last nine
years after the Broncos rolled over in-state rival Central Michigan. The WMU
defense limited the Chippewas to 107 rushing yards and shut them out for three
quarters. Western Michigan Chapter President Justin Tranquill recorded the
first sack of his career, his second interception in 2019 and also had a tackle
for a loss.
Lehigh: It took one of the best
defensive efforts in recent Mountain Hawks history for Lehigh to post its first
victory of the season. Despite being on the field a whopping 37 minutes, the
Mountain Hawk defense held Merrimack to minus-25 yards rushing, recorded six
sacks, posted two takeaways and the only points Lehigh surrendered was a
second-quarter field goal.
Notre Dame: Behind a defense that posted
eight sacks and five turnovers, the Fighting Irish rallied from its first
halftime deficit of the season to outscore Virginia 21-3 in the second half in
a battle of previously Top 20 ranked teams. Defensive end Julian Okwara led the
defense with 3 sacks, two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles, both of
which led to Irish touchdowns. Notre Dame Chapter President Drew White
tied for the team-high in tackles with seven including five solo stops.
Saint Francis: A blocked punt set up the Red
Flash for the only touchdown of the game in a defensive tussle in Rhode Island
with Bryant. In it’s three wins, Saint Francis has only surrendered 14, 13 and
six points. In a game that saw the two squads combined for 20 punts, the Red Flash
defense limited Bryant to 210 total yards, a pair of field goals and 2 of 17 on
third down. SFU Chapter President Nick Rinella paced the defense with eight
tackles including seven solo stops and a tackle for a loss.
Florida State: Quarterback Alex Hornibook, a
graduate transfer from Wisconsin, made his first career start for the Seminoles
and threw for a career-high 316 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over NC
State. The victory over the Wolfpack marked the first time since 2016 that
FSU has posted back-to-back victories in ACC games since the 2016 season.
Stony Brook: Junior quarterback Tyquell
Fields scrambled 50 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-down play to score with
11 seconds remaining to give the Seawolves a dramatic come-from-behind road
victory in their CAA opener. Stony Brook and Rhode Island combined to score 37
points in the wild fourth quarter that saw URI score a pair of touchdowns in
less than 30 seconds inside the final 2 minutes to erase a 10-point deficit.
Syracuse: Quarterback Tommy DeVito, the
first-year starter for the Orange, threw four touchdown passes for the second
consecutive game becoming only the second Syracuse quarterback in program to
have multiple four-plus touchdown games during his career in the comfortable
win over Holy Cross. Former Orange signal caller Ryan Nassib threw four TD
passes in a game four times during his career.
Princeton: Senior quarterback Andrew Davidson,
making only his second start for the Tigers, broke the Princeton and Ivy League
single-game record for touchdown passes in a game with seven in the victory
over Bucknell. Senior wide receiver Andrew
Griffin hauled in four of those touchdown passes to tie the 28-year-old school
and Ivy League record for touchdowns by a wide receiver in a game.
Kevin Davidson sets the Princeton record for touchdown passes in a game with this being his 7️⃣th!
Griffin's 4️⃣th touchdown ties the school record for touchdown receptions in a game
Fordham: Rams linebacker Ryan Greenhagen,
coming off back-to-back Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors,
appears to be a strong candidate to make it three in a row after posting 13
tackles, including 10 solo, a career-high 4.5 tackles for a loss and one sack
in a victory over Richmond. Defensive back Dervin Hylton Jr. knocked down a
pair of passes in the end zone in the dying seconds to preserve the second win
of the season for Fordham.
Clemson: The defending National
Champions made it 20 victories in a row thanks to its defense stuffing North
Carolina on a two-point conversion attempt inside the final two minutes to
preserve a one-point victory over the Tar Heels. It was the first road victory
for the Tigers at North Carolina since 2002.
Every touchdown scored during the month of
October by participating members of the Uplifting Athletes nationwide network
of college football student-athlete led chapters will help support the Rare
Disease Community.
Uplifting Athletes chapters are run by college
football student-athletes. So, for fans, this is a great way to support the
players on your favorite team in their off-the-field efforts by supporting
their on-field performance.
“Uplifting Athletes’ college football chapters
provide a unique platform to raise awareness for the Rare Disease Community.
Touchdown Pledge Drive is an in-season student-athlete led initiative to shine
a national spotlight on rare diseases,” Uplifting Athletes Director of Sports
Impact Brett Brackett said. “We are grateful to each and every school that is
participating this year by spreading awareness and encouraging their fans to
pledge per touchdown scored during games in October to support the mission of
Uplifting Athletes.”
Clemson, Colgate, Davidson, Fordham, Illinois, Kent State, Lehigh, Marist, NC State, Northwestern, Penn, Penn State, Saint Francis, Stony Brook, Syracuse and Western Michigan chapters have each committed to helping Uplifting Athletes Tackle Rare Diseases by participating in Touchdown Pledge Drive 2019.
Fans can simply make a pledge
to their favorite college-football student-athlete led chapter for each
touchdown they score in October. Then as the games
unfold, watch and cheer as each touchdown scored helps raise money to support
the Rare Disease Community.
The proceeds from Touchdown Pledge Drive 2019
support the mission of Uplifting Athletes and its charitable programs: Rare
Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Experiences and Uplifting
Leaders.
The challenges faced by the Rare Disease
Community are bigger than any one individual, team or organization can tackle
alone. The grassroots effort of our nationwide network of teams is uniquely
positioned to educate and engage the local community and shine a spotlight on
rare diseases.
Find your
favorite Uplifting Athletes Chapter using college football as a platform to shine a spotlight on the
Rare Disease Community, and
support their efforts by signing up for Touchdown Pledge Drive 2019 today!
