Penn State Football: Lift for Life $94,310 Plus Raised by Players

Yesterday, the Penn State football team competed in the ninth annual Lift for Life ™ sponsored by the Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes.

Congratulations to all the Penn State football players who participated in yesterday’s Lift for Life.  Their website this morning states that they have raised $94,310.09. 

Since that number reflects online donations only, event organizers expect that other proceeds at the event itself will likely surpass last year’s total of $98,461.35. 

Nice job, guys!

Each team of four went through an 11-event challenge. These events include drills such as a leg press, chin-ups/dips, the iron cross, two field challenges (carrying two 100 lb. plates or pulling a dolly with variable resistance), the barbell bench press and everyone's favorite, the Tire Flip, described in the brochure simply as "a really, really, big tire."  

It's a tractor tire.

There were 18 teams total, with names such as “Monstars” or “American Muscle” or “Rise and Grind” or “Do the Stanky Leg.”

The team “Still Payin,” consisting of Evan Lewis, Derek Day, Brian Irvin and Pat Zerbe, achieved the best score of the day and was declared the winners.

Named appropriately enough, the “Money Makers” team, led by No. 75 Eric Shrive, achieved the most donations.  In fact, Eric Shrive wound up surpassing his original $15,000 goal several times to achieve a total of $25,020!  What an accomplishment! 

The event itself is sort of hard to watch.  It’s a five-hour event from start to finish, and you really have no idea which team is winning until the very end.  The last team comes on at 6:15, so the wait is long to know where each team stands.

It's a bit like watching grass grow.

However, it’s an intimate gathering.  A steady flow of fans come and go throughout the five-hour exercise.  The Penn State football fans who come for this event are some of the best fans that Penn State has, many of them our friends and acquaintances. 

Talk of the upcoming season was rampant.  And with yesterday's news that Ohio State had just vacated its victories, reactions were strong and decidedly mixed.

There were chances to acquire player autographs, chances to wish favorite players good luck for the season, chances for great photos and finally, chances to appreciate some amazingly well toned male physiques as they engage in these grueling drills! 

You realize too how difficult this workout is, as players struggled with the challenges set before them.  Players say it is the toughest workout of the year.  We could see their pain, all endured for a good cause, for kidney cancer research.

As my husband Terry and I stood in Holuba Hall watching this impressive show of strength, it dawned on us how quickly football season will be here! 

This was a great event to get us excited about the upcoming season and a fun day for a great cause!

This article also appears in View from the Stands - Penn State Football, where you can view more photos from the Lift for Life event.