Uplifting Athletes Partners with NEPSAC to Empower Student-Athletes Through Service and Leadership
An exciting collaboration brings rare disease awareness, community service, and leadership development to New England preparatory school athletics.
Official Partnership
NEPSAC Named Official Rare Disease Community Service Partner
Uplifting Athletes is proud to announce a transformative partnership with the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), officially designating the organization as the Official Rare Disease Community Service Partner of NEPSAC. This historic collaboration launches during February, Rare Disease Month, marking the beginning of a year-long initiative focused on leadership development, community service, and student-athlete well-being across all NEPSAC member schools.
Founded and powered by student-athletes themselves, Uplifting Athletes harnesses the extraordinary power of sport to support people impacted by rare diseases. Through athlete-led fundraising, passionate advocacy, and comprehensive leadership development programs, the organization funds critical rare disease research, creates uplifting experiences for families facing challenges, and develops service-driven leaders who will shape the future.
This partnership aligns perfectly with NEPSAC's unwavering commitment to prioritizing the health and holistic development of student-athletes while fostering a vibrant culture of servant leadership within its athletic programs. Together, these two organizations will leverage the unique power of sport to create meaningful, lasting impact for families affected by rare diseases while equipping student-athletes with invaluable opportunities to lead and serve beyond competition.
Partnership Highlights
  • Year-long collaboration across NEPSAC schools
  • Launch during Rare Disease Month (February)
  • Focus on leadership and service
  • Holistic student-athlete development
  • Community-driven impact
Comprehensive Programs to Engage and Inspire
Through this partnership, NEPSAC member schools and their student-athletes will have access to several transformative Uplifting Athletes initiatives designed to create meaningful impact while developing leadership skills that last a lifetime.
Team Uplifting Athletes Campaigns
High-profile awareness and fundraising efforts including Lift for Life strength challenges, individual and team-based pledge drives, and signature events that mobilize entire communities to get active in support of the rare disease community.
Uplifting Experiences
Connecting athletes and teams directly with individuals and families impacted by rare diseases to provide hope, joy, and meaningful shared moments that transcend athletics.
Supporting Research
Funding collaborative rare disease research through innovative programs like the Young Investigator Draft, which awards life-changing seed grants to top researchers advancing treatments.
Leadership Development
Student-athlete leadership education through chapter led initiatives and national conferences designed to cultivate purpose driven leaders.
Remarkable Research Impact
Since 2007, Uplifting Athletes has made extraordinary strides in advancing rare disease research and supporting the scientific community's efforts to find treatments and cures. The organization's commitment to funding promising researchers has created a ripple effect of innovation and discovery that extends far beyond the initial investment. Since 2018, through strategic partnerships and the unique Young Investigator Draft program, Uplifting Athletes identifies and supports the brightest minds in rare disease research, providing them with critical seed funding to launch studies that might otherwise never get off the ground.
75
Researchers Drafted
Top prospect rare disease researchers supported since 2018
1.4M
Seed Funding
Direct investment in breakthrough research initiatives
200M
Unlocked Funding
Supplemental research funding leveraged from initial grants
10K+
Rare Diseases
Known conditions being studied and treated worldwide
These investments have accelerated discoveries across the rare disease landscape, helping researchers make critical breakthroughs in understanding disease mechanisms, developing new treatments, and improving quality of life for patients and families. The multiplier effect of seed funding demonstrates how strategic early-stage support can catalyze major advances in medical science and bring hope to millions of people worldwide affected by rare diseases.
Leadership Voices: Brett Brackett
"Uplifting Athletes is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside NEPSAC and its member schools. We are excited to rally student-athletes around a shared mission and leverage the power of sport to serve people impacted by rare diseases today, tomorrow, and for the future."
Brett Brackett
President, Uplifting Athletes
Former Penn State Football Captain & Former NFL Player
Brett's leadership embodies the mission of Uplifting Athletes, bringing together his experience as a college athlete with a deep commitment to service and community impact. His vision for this partnership reflects the organization's core belief that student-athletes possess unique platforms to create meaningful change and develop into leaders who serve something greater than themselves.
Brunswick School: A Model of Success
The partnership builds on strong momentum already established within NEPSAC schools, with Brunswick School serving as a shining example of what's possible when athletic programs embrace service and community impact. Brunswick School has embedded Uplifting Athletes programming deep into its athletic culture, demonstrating how this mission resonates with young people and transforms team dynamics.
01
Connection Through Alumni
Brunswick first connected with Uplifting Athletes through a former Princeton football player, Brunswick alumnus, and Uplifting Athletes chapter president who brought the program back to his alma mater.
02
Record-Breaking First Year
In their inaugural year participating, Brunswick raised the most money of any high school in the country, demonstrating immediate impact and student buy-in.
03
Sustained Excellence
This past summer, Brunswick raised $40,000 and finished second nationally among all high schools and colleges, proving the longevity of their commitment.
04
Integration Into Culture
Brunswick has integrated Lift for Life into its annual max testing, making service an integral part of athletic development and competition.
05
Alumni Network Impact
Brunswick alumni continue their involvement at the collegiate level at institutions including Boston College, Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Brown, and Syracuse.
Voices from Brunswick School
Wayne McGillicuddy
Athletic Director & Head Football Coach Brunswick School
"From the very beginning, it was clear this was about much more than sports. Uplifting Athletes brings teams together around a shared purpose and helps young people understand how to use the platform they have to serve something greater than themselves. We teach our athletes that we can compete in everything we do. On the field, in the classroom, and in service. What may be most rewarding is seeing our alumni carry this forward. That's how you know it's real."
Harrison Caponiti
Brunswick School, Class of 2018,
Princeton University, Class of 2023
"This program gave so much to me, and bringing it back to my high school felt like the right way to give back. Uplifting Athletes became a real community for me, not just during college, but long after. When you get a team in a room and focus that energy on something bigger than yourself, it’s incredibly powerful. Lift for Life was fun, competitive, and meaningful. And every dollar went to a cause that truly matters. You don’t need anything complicated. Just a plan, good energy, and a willingness to go all in. You can raise a lot of money and make a real impact, faster than you think.”
The Power of Community
Jeff Baxter
Manager of Team Uplifting Athletes
"For me, community is the ultimate competitive advantage against adversity. My work with student-athletes has always been about building community and ensuring no one faces their toughest challenges alone. This partnership creates that sense of belonging at scale."
Mallory Lucas
Dexter Southfield, Class of 2022
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2026
"Uplifting Athletes allowed my college team at UPENN to come together and support something bigger than ourselves. It was an incredible experience, and the impact we made will truly change someone's life."
These testimonials illuminate the heart of what makes Uplifting Athletes so powerful: the creation of authentic community around shared purpose. When student-athletes unite to serve families affected by rare diseases, they discover that their greatest strength lies not in individual achievement but in collective action and mutual support.
Vision for Impact
Together, Uplifting Athletes and NEPSAC are embarking on an ambitious journey to transform the landscape of student-athlete engagement and community service across New England preparatory schools. This partnership represents more than a collaboration between two organizations—it's a movement to redefine what it means to be a student-athlete in today's world, emphasizing that true athletic excellence extends far beyond the playing field.
Engage Dozens of Schools
Bringing comprehensive programming to NEPSAC member institutions across New England, creating a network of service-minded athletic programs.
Activate Thousands of Student-Athletes
Mobilizing young people to discover their capacity for leadership, service, and making a meaningful difference in the world.
Support Families
Providing hope, resources, and uplifting experiences to families navigating the challenges of rare disease diagnoses.
Advance Research
Funding critical rare disease research that accelerates the development of treatments and brings hope to millions worldwide.
Develop Leaders
Cultivating purpose-driven leaders whose impact lasts far beyond the final whistle, creating positive change in communities.
The vision is clear: to create a generation of student-athletes who understand that their platform comes with responsibility, their talents can serve others, and their greatest victories happen when they lift up those facing life's toughest challenges. Through this partnership, young people will learn that leadership means service, competition extends to making a difference, and community provides the ultimate competitive advantage against any adversity.
Join the Movement
This partnership between Uplifting Athletes and NEPSAC represents a powerful opportunity for student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, and school administrators to be part of something truly transformative. As this collaboration launches during Rare Disease Month and extends throughout the year, the invitation is clear: join a movement that's changing lives, advancing research, and developing leaders who will shape a better future.
Whether you're a student-athlete looking to make a difference, a coach seeking to build character alongside competition, an athletic director committed to holistic student development, or a school administrator dedicated to fostering servant leadership, there's a place for you in this mission. The impact starts with awareness, grows through participation, and multiplies through community.
Together, we can harness the extraordinary power of sport to support families affected by rare diseases, fund breakthrough research, and empower the next generation of leaders. The playing field extends far beyond the boundaries of any game—it reaches into laboratories where researchers are making discoveries, into homes where families need hope, and into the hearts of young people discovering their capacity to serve something greater than themselves.

Ready to get involved? Contact Uplifting Athletes or your NEPSAC athletic director to learn how your school and student-athletes can participate in Team Uplifting Athletes campaigns, Uplifting Experiences, leadership development opportunities, and more. Together, we lift up those who need it most.
Contact [email protected] to get started!