UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State freshman tight end Adam Breneman has been named an officer of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter, the university announced.
Breneman, of Camp Hill, will serve as the chapter's fundraising chairman. Breneman has personally raised more than $100,000 through his Catch The Cure campaign; which he began to help a neighbor who was fighting ALS, a neurodegenerative illness that is closely related to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Senior guard Eric Shrive of Scranton has been elected president of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter. Shrive served as vice president the past two years; and helped plan the chapter's events to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association.
Uplifting Athletes is a national organization, based in Cumberland County, which coordinates the efforts of college football players raising awareness and money to fight rare diseases.
Penn State's signature event is the Penn State Lift for Life, a strength and conditioning challenge held each year among football players.
Joining Shrive as 2013 Uplifting Athletes officers are, according to Penn State: vice president - senior tackle Adam Gress (West Mifflin, Pa.); head of operations - senior center Ty Howle (Wake Forest, N.C.); secretary - sophomore cornerback Da'Quan Davis (Baltimore).
"I am honored to be elected president and look forward to another successful year with Uplifting Athletes and helping raise awareness for rare diseases," Shrive said.
Shrive recently was named one of seven finalists for the 2013 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award. He has raised nearly $70,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association during his Penn State career. The honor is presented annually to recognize a leader in the world of college football who has realized his or her potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community. More than 30 million Americans are affected by rare diseases.
Fans can vote through Jan. 31 to determine this year's Rare Disease Champion at: www.upliftingathletes.org/vote
During the 10 years of the Penn State Lift For Life, the Nittany Lion football program has raised in excess of $700,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association, including a record $110,374.00 in 2012.
Information used in this story was provided by Penn State University.
