HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/24/09)
– The Colgate football team will hold its second annual Lift For Life
event on Saturday, March 7 at the Sanford Field House at 6 p.m. The event will help raise funds and awareness for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Ehlers-Danlos
syndrome (EDS) is a group of inherited disorders that affect your
connective tissues – primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. With EDS, genetic mutations disrupt the production of collagen, a chief component of connective tissue.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is uncommon and occurs in six major types. All types affect your joints, and most also affect your skin. Some
of the more prominent symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome include
flexible joints that extend beyond the normal range of movement, and
skin that’s especially stretchy or fragile.
The event this year really hits home because it directly effects a teammate and his family,” said junior linebacker Greg Hadley. “Last
year was nice to get the event off the ground and do some good, but
when you are out there for people you care about, like Ryan Meyers, it’s special. That’s what Uplifting Athletes is all about.”
Colgate football players are members of the Uplifting Athletes, Inc.,
an organization established to raise awareness for rare diseases. Other college football programs currently involved are
The event will feature Colgate football players competing in lifting and skills competition. Colgate fans will have a chance to meet the players with an autograph session after the competition. The
first 100 fans will receive free T-shirts, and other gifts, including
an autographed helmet and jersey from Donovan McNabb, will be raffled
off along with other prizes from local businesses.
Admission to the fund-raiser is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for college students and free for children under eight.
“It
means the world to me and my family that the team would pick a disease
that benefits my sister’s disease,” said Meyers, a senior quarterback. “It just shows you that a football team is truly a family, looking out for one another through the thick and the thin.”
“The football student-athletes at Colgate have been great to work with and have really embraced their ability to make a positive and lasting impact,” said Scott Shirley, Executive Director of Uplifting Athletes, Inc. “By choosing to benefit the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation, Colgate Football Uplifting Athletes is able to make the rare disease cause relevant to the team and make a significant impact with their efforts.”