Uplifting Athletes honors Carolina football chapter for fundraising
The chapter received the prestigious Game Changers Award for raising more than $10,000 for rare disease research.
The UNC Football chapter of Uplifting Athletes, represented by linebacker Timir Hickman-Collins and offensive lineman Christo Kelly, recently received the prestigious Game Changers Award. The honor was presented at the organization’s 2026 Leadership Development Conference in Philadelphia, attended by 155 student-athletes from 55 Division I programs in seven different sports.
The award honored the chapter for setting a new standard of support for the rare disease community by raising more than $10,000 with its annual Lift for Life event.
Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 with the mission to harness the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of people impacted by rare diseases.
“At Uplifting Athletes, we challenge our student-athletes to lead, serve and make a real difference for the rare disease community,” said Andrea Pierson, chapter success manager at Uplifting Athletes. “UNC Football has continued to set the standard for what that looks like in action. They’ve hosted impactful Uplifting Experiences, even virtual experiences, to further their reach.”
Kelly, who was recently granted a sixth year of eligibility to return to the program this fall, helped launch a chapter of Uplifting Athletes at Holy Cross in 2023, organizing numerous fundraisers and community engagement initiatives. Since arriving in Chapel Hill, he has continued that commitment, building upon the foundation established by Conner Harrell and Will Hardy within the North Carolina program.
“I’m proud to represent both Carolina Football and the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in this mission,” Kelly said. He thanked football head coach Bill Belichick, assistant director of student-athlete development Briana Singleton and the entire North Carolina community for their “unwavering support.”
Hickman-Collins, who just completed his first season in Carolina Blue, appeared in nine games for the Tar Heels last fall and has made an instant impact with the Uplifting Athletes organization.
“Attending the Uplifting Athletes Convention was a very cool experience for me,” said Hickman-Collins. “It showed me that there’s so much more to what we’re doing each and every day. Seeing the kids and hearing about the rare diseases that are out there opened my eyes to so much more and made me want to work even harder for the people that are less fortunate and don’t have the ability to compete like we do.”
This year’s event marked a major milestone, as fundraising efforts across the country brought in $200,000 to support innovative research initiatives. To date, Uplifting Athletes has invested $1.4 million in research grants supporting 75 researchers nationwide.
With more than three dozen chapters at universities nationwide, the athletes who run Uplifting Athletes chapters drive home the organization’s mission and vision through signature events such as Lift For Life and Touchdown Pledge Drive.
“We’re committed to igniting change and making a difference on and off the field,” Kelly added.
That commitment from Kelly, Hickman-Collins and the Carolina chapter has not gone unnoticed.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the heart they put into everything they do with our organization,” Pierson said. “Christo even opened our conference this year with a speech to set the tone and challenge others to step up, which is the kind of leadership that moves the mission forward. We can’t wait to see the impact that Christo, Timir and the rest of the team have in 2026.”
