Record Total, Crowd for 5th Annual Lift for Life

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; July 13, 2007 – Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes’ Fifth annual "Lift For Life" was a tremendous success, raising this year’s contributions for the Kidney Cancer Association to a record total in excess of $75,000 to date.

Eighty-four Nittany Lion football student-athletes tested their strength and endurance in an 11-event strength and conditioning challenge in front of a record total of more than 3,000 fans, friends and family in Holuba Hall.

 With the record-setting total, more than $225,000 has been raised since 2003 by members of the Penn State football team to aid in the fight against the disease. More than 30,000 Americans are afflicted with kidney cancer each year.

Several kidney cancer patients from across the country were able to connect with one another and the Kidney Cancer Association at the event.

Twenty-one four-person teams competed in 11 events designed to test mental and physical toughness. The exercises for the competitors ranged from the bench press to carrying 100-lb. plates to the giant tire flip.

The winning team was comprised of wide receiver Brett Brackett (Lawrenceville, N.J.), safety Jason Ganter (State College), quarterback Kevin Suhey (State College) and safety Mark Rubin (Amherst, N.Y.).

Second place was secured by the team of defensive end Josh Gaines (Fort Wayne, Ind.), linebacker Tyrell Sales (Butler), tailback Austin Scott (Allentown) and center A.Q. Shipley (Coraopolis).

The third place team was comprised of linebacker Navorro Bowman (District Heights, Md.), defensive end Aaron Maybin (Ellicott City, Md.), cornerback A.J. Wallace (Waldorf, Md.) and wide receiver Derrick Williams (Greenbelt, Md.)

The Nittany Lion football team organized all aspects of the event, with Brackett, Ganter and Suhey primarily heading the effort, along with other current squad members, former Nittany Lion and event co-founder Scott Shirley and Deloris Brobeck.

For more information about the Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes, “Lift For Life,” or to make a tax-deductible contribution, click here