Donate to Touchdown Pledge Drive | Uplifting Athletes website

Champaign, Ill. – The Illinois Chapter of Uplifting Athletes is pumped to score plenty of touchdowns throughout October during the month-long 2018 Touchdown Pledge Drive to support the Rare Disease Community.

The leadership team of the Illinois Chapter and all the members of the 2018 Fighting Illini squad is asking fans to support them when Illinois plays Rutgers (October 6), Purdue (October 13), Wisconsin (October 20) and Maryland (October 27) by making a pledge through the Illinois Chapter online Touchdown Pledge Drive website.

Fans can simply make a pledge for each touchdown the Fighting Illini score in October and then follow along each week to see the impact they are helping the players make.

Uplifting Athletes chapters are run by college football student-athletes. So, for Illinois football fans, this is a great way to support the Fighting Illini in their off-the-field efforts by supporting their on-field performance in October.

The proceeds from the Illinois Chapter 2018 Touchdown Pledge Drive support the mission of Uplifting Athletes and its charitable programs: Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Experiences and Uplifting Leaders.

In seven years, the Illini have raised nearly $150,000 to help fight rare diseases, including over $86,000 in the last two years alone between the Touchdown Pledge Drive and the annual Lift for Life event in the summer. In 2018 Lift for Life event alone, the Illini chapter raised over $49,000, a new event record.  

The student-athlete led Illinois Chapter serves the Rare Disease Community in honor of Andrew Carter, a former Illini offensive lineman who battled the rare disease acoustic neuroma in 2011. Carter never played football again, but his fight inspired the Illinois football program to help Tackle Rare Diseases.

About Uplifting Athletes

A nonprofit organization founded in 2007, Uplifting Athletes inspires the rare disease community with hope through the power of sport. A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans and typically lacks financial incentive to make and market new treatments. With a network of university chapters run by current college football student-athletes that spans all major conferences, For more information about Uplifting Athletes, visit www.upliftingathletes.org.