It didn't matter how many weights Evan Royster lifted or how many sprints he ran in preparation for Lift for Life.
At the end of the workout, sweat drenched Royster -- much like the other participants from the Penn State football team -- after the 11-circuit workout inside humid Holuba Hall on Friday.
The Nittany Lions tested their physical and mental strength in front of 3,000 fans during the eighth annual Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life event while raising a record-setting $98,461.35.
The total is nearly $16,000 more than last year's event brought in and brings the eight-year sum for the Kidney Cancer Association to close to $500,000.
"You really can't describe it," said Brett Brackett, president of the Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes. "When you get an e-mail from someone and they tell you that when they were diagnosed with kidney cancer they were told that they didn't really have much hope and nothing to help them. ... Then, when they found out Penn State football was involved their whole demeanor changed because now they have 105 people that have their back."
Brackett's team, OH Jersey, which consisted of Jack Crawford, Gerald Hodges and Michael Zordich, won the event, but the team's highest individual fund raiser was offensive lineman Eric Shrive.
Shrive's $7,340 effort was the result of him going all over State College as well as his hometown of Scranton in search of donations, Brackett said.
Though the Lions started organizing Lift for Life immediately after the Blue-White game, the strenuous workout inside Holuba Hall was something few were completely prepared for.
"It's probably one of the toughest lifts we'll have all year," redshirt sophomore quarterback Matt McGloin said. "But it's great to come out here and give something back. The fans support us greatly throughout the year, and what we do out here is no comparison to what people with kidney cancer have gone through."
The giant tire flip was an event senior linebacker Bani Gbadyu said truly tested the strength of his entire body. Likewise, the VersaClimber left junior cornerback D'Anton Lynn spent.
For some of the players the day was full of mental challenges too.
Having an entire crowd, as well as cameras watch while doing the bench press made senior kicker Collin Wagner nervous However, Wagner said the day's tasks and the team's fundraising efforts all helped put playing football in perspective.
With the Lions' total fundraising efforts not ending until Oct. 1, Brackett said seeing the Lions fundraise more during his three years as president has been a wonderful experience.
"We've done a great job so far and it's not just about the money," Brackett said. "It's about the awareness and all that stuff. I'm proud of what everybody's done."
