UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For anyone on the Nittany Lion football team, a normal summer Friday consists of a routine workout.  Sure, the workout may not be routine for you and me, but the players are used to a strenuous day in the weight room.

But Lift for Life Friday is anything but ordinary.  The annual event is a strenuous test of physical and mental toughness unlike any other day of the year.  Until you have been to Lift for Life, you can't really get a feel for how much heart and soul the members of the football squad pour into the one-day event.

While the grueling test of strength and stamina is another day of preparation for the season, it is workout that means so much more than a touchdown on the scoreboard in September.  Lift for Life's proceeds directly benefit the fight against kidney cancer.  The participating players always talk about the cause and giving back to the fans, but they don't talk about it in an abstract sense.

The team looks at this event as a way to say thank you to the loyal Penn State fans by providing a significant boost to the Kidney Cancer Association.  Spectators are treated to an exhibition of physical strength that nearly everyone on the roster calls the "toughest workout of the year."

This year, 80 Nittany Lions will take part in the event.  The 80 players will be broken up into 20 teams of four athletes.  The workout itself will consist of 11 stations, ranging from leg press and bench press to unconventional tractor tire flipping and a sled pull.

By the time the 11th stage (tractor tire flipping) is completed, the players are usually on the ground with exhaustion.  Throw in the excessive heat and humidity this week and this year's event is shaping up to be even more punishing than usual.

But the athletes love every minute of it.  Following the workout, you will see the players meeting the fans, signing autographs and enjoying the day.  It is a superb event that Penn State fans greatly enjoy.  Lift for Life has generated more than $400,000 in its first seven years.  More than $40,000 has already been raised for the Kidney Cancer Association heading into the final days of fundraising this season.

And what a lot of people do not realize is that Lift for Life is solely organized by members of the football team.  There is no outside involvement.  Uplifting Athletes is the group that handles all aspects of Lift for Life and has truly made this an outstanding event.

Senior wide receiver Brett Brackett is the President of Uplifting Athletes.  Brackett deserves a lot of credit for building this event into what it has become.  Newcomers Mike Farrell, Ty Howle and Mike Yancich took over as Vice President, Head of Operations and Secretary, respectively, this season.

I caught up with Brackett earlier in the week when he and a number of players were in the Lasch Building's equipment room putting numbers on the back of the shirts that will be worn at Lift for Life.  He could not be happier with the involvement from the team for this event.

Brackett also mentioned that what makes the 11-stage workout so tough is just that, working through 11 stages.  He said the team participates in all 11 workouts over the course of a summer, but never all 11 on the same day.  Nonetheless, Brackett said that Lift for Life is a great barometer to see who has gotten stronger during the offseason.

It is a grueling workout for a great cause.  If you can't make it this year, make sure to be in Happy Valley next year for Lift for Life.  It is a pleasure to watch the effort put forth by the football squad to benefit kidney cancer awareness and research.

For more information about Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.upliftingathletes.org or contact Deloris Brobeck at 814-865-1946 during normal business hours.

Stay tuned. We will have more from Lift for Life in the coming days.