Penn State's Annual Lift for Life Event Canceled

Uplifting Athletes cancels all Lift for Life events this summer, plans return in 2021.

Penn State's annual Lift for Life event, which has become a vital part of the team's summer training schedule, has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uplifting Athletes, which organizes a nationwide network of college football programs that help the rare disease community, announced this week that its Lift for Life fundraisers would be canceled across the country. The organization plans to resume the events in 2021.

Uplifting Athletes said it plans a June 22 announcement to continue raising awareness for the rare disease community.

Penn State was scheduled to host its 18th annual Lift for Life event this year. The organization started at Penn State, where former receiver Scott Shirley and several teammates held the first Lift for Life in 2003 to benefit kidney cancer research. Shirley sought to raise awareness after his father Don was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Last year's event at Penn State raised more than $51,000 for kidney cancer research and awareness. In 17 years, Penn State's Lift for Life has raised more than $1.4 million. Uplifting Athletes has active chapters at 22 colleges, all of which are run by football players.

Lift for Life is one of Penn State's best offseason opportunities for interaction between players and fans. More than 100 players and 1,000 fans gathered at Holuba Hall last year for the lifting competition, a kids clinic and an autograph session.

Quarterback Sean Clifford is president of Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes. He followed former quarterback Trace McSorley in the role.

"I'm humbled to be a part of it," Clifford said last year.

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