Clemson receivers Brannon Spector and Blackmon Huckabee were recently part of the Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft, which honored nine young investigative rare disease researchers with $20,000 grants.
You can read more details in the following news release from Uplifting Athletes:
When Uplifting Athletes presented $180,000 in rare disease research grants at its fifth annual Young Investigator Draft in Philadelphia on
February 7, 2022, members of the Clemson Chapter were part of the celebration―and part of the team of student-athletes who made these grants possible.
“Uplifting Athletes’ mission of inspiring the Rare Disease Community with hope through the power of sport comes to life through the efforts of these collegiate student-athletes, who join us in shining a spotlight on rare diseases,” said Rob Long, Executive Director, Uplifting Athletes. “We’re incredibly grateful to Clemson Football for helping to make our work possible by engaging in on-campus awareness building and fundraising initiatives throughout the year.”
Clemson is among 26 Uplifting Athletes university chapters led by student-athletes, including 25 men’s football teams and one women’s soccer team, who use their own powerful platforms to give voice to the 30 million Americans diagnosed with rare diseases.
Clemson participates annually in Uplifting Athletes’ signature Life for Life event during the offseason and Touchdown Pledge Drive during the season. Through their involvement, these dedicated student-athletes are enhancing their individual leadership skills and gaining valuable life experiences, while making a significant impact in the Rare Disease Community.
Representing Clemson at the Uplifting Athletes 2022 Young Investigator Draft were Brannon Spector and Blackmon Huckabee. The duo was visiting Philadelphia to participate in Uplifting Athletes’ annual Leadership Development Conference―a two-day gathering focused on the development of transferable life skills, rare disease advocacy and leadership. They were joined by 30 other student-athletes who also lead Uplifting Athletes university chapters across the country.
Included on the conference agenda was the opportunity to attend the Uplifting Athletes 2022 Young Investigator Draft at Lincoln Financial Field―Home of the Philadelphia Eagles. This year marked the first time the Young Investigator Draft coincided with the Leadership Development Conference.
The Young Investigator Draft is inspired by the NFL Draft but shifts the focus from the selection of emerging talent on the football field to recognizing the next generation of promising young medical researchers in the rare disease space. It is one of several signature initiatives created by Uplifting Athletes to raise awareness and research funding for rare diseases, which affect 1 in 10 individuals in the US.
At the 2022 Draft, Uplifting Athletes celebrated nine promising young investigative rare disease researchers and honored each with a $20,000 unrestricted grant, co-funded by nine patient advocacy organization partners, to support their vital work. Over the past five years, the Young Investigator Draft has awarded more than $620,000 in grant funding to 34 rare disease researchers across North America.
“We’re elated that the student-athletes participating in our 2022 Leadership Development Conference could attend this year’s Young Investigator Draft,” said Long. “They were able to experience first-hand the difference they’re making by using their platform to advocate for the Rare Disease Community and realize the direct impact their work has on rare disease research funding. The grants we present each year are funded, in part, by the efforts of these dedicated student-athletes.”
Also honored at the Draft were the six newest members of the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team Presented by Sanofi Genzyme―highlighting leaders in college football who are making a positive and lasting impact on the Rare Disease Community. This
marks the 14th year of the initiative, which is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
Selected for this honor were Mac Brown, University of Mississippi; Sam Fraley, Formerly Temple University (Entered Transfer Portal); Dillan Gibbons, Florida State University; Tyler Lavine, Southern Methodist University; Peter Snodgrass, Northwestern University; and Zeke Zaragoza, Oklahoma State University. All exemplify the very best of student-athletes who are supporting the Rare Disease Community in extraordinarily meaningful ways. Learn more about their stories, and the stories of the 2022 Young Investigator Draft Class, at upliftingathletes.org.
About Rare Diseases
A rare disease is defined as one that impacts fewer than 200,000 Americans annually. These diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative and life-threatening. Collectively, there are approximately 7,000 rare diseases affecting more than 30 million Americans—one
in every 10 individuals. More than half are children, 30 percent of whom will not live to see their fifth birthday. Unfortunately, research for rare diseases is extremely limited due to the lack of financial incentive to develop and market new treatments for small populations.
About Uplifting Athletes
Uplifting Athletes aims to inspire the Rare Disease Community with hope through the power of sport. The nonprofit organization engages student and professional athletes in realizing the impact of using their own powerful platforms to give voice to the 30 million Americans diagnosed with rare diseases. With the support of 26 collegiate chapters led by studentathletes, including 25 men’s football teams and one women’s soccer team, and more than 80 ambassadors from across America’s professional sports leagues, including representatives from the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $5 million toward its mission since it was established in 2007. Programs include Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Leaders and Uplifting Experiences, with several signature initiatives falling under these banners. To learn more, visit upliftingathletes.org.
About CSL Behring
CSL Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by its promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we discover, develop and deliver innovative therapies for people living with conditions in the immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic, respiratory, and transplant therapeutic areas. We use three strategic scientific platforms of plasma fractionation, recombinant protein technology, and cell and gene therapy to support continued innovation and continually refine ways in which products can address unmet medical needs and help patients lead full lives.
CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. The parent company, CSL Limited (ASX:CSL;USOTC:CSLLY), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs more than 25,000 people worldwide, and delivers its life-saving therapies to people in more than 100 countries. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit Vita CSLBehring.com/vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSLBehring.
–News release and photo courtesy of Uplifting Athletes
www.upliftingathletes.org
CONTACT: Andy Shay
(717) 737-7900
andy.shay@upliftingathletes.org
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