Team Jack WINS the Uplifting Athletes Award

[knapplc]

Nebraska Huskers ‏ @Huskers

Congratulations to #Huskers RB Rex Burkhead who was just named the 2012 Uplifting Athletes Award Winner. Way to go Rex...GO BIG RED! #B1G

From Randy York's blog:

By Randy York

The N-Sider is a bit out of its comfort zone today, but as a courtesy to Big Red fans who voted for Rex Burkhead to win the 2012 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award, we have a news flash. Scott Shirley, executive director of the Uplifting Athletes organization, will make the announcement today at 12:20 p.m. CT. It will be carried live in a nationally broadcast webcast at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., as part of the day’s events to recognize Global Rare Disease Day.

While Nebraska officials have received no official announcement of the winner, a spokeswoman for the organization said Wednesday that a record number of votes were counted Sunday, the deadline for voting. “More than 76,000 votes were cast for this year’s award,” said Jaime Fettrow-Alderfer, who works in the organization’s Camp Hill, Pa., office.

Besides Burkhead, Nebraska’s All-Big Ten running back, the other finalists for this year’s award are: North Carolina State’s Wayne Crawford, UCLA’s Luke Gane and Florida’s David Lerner. 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, and based on that fact alone, we are confident the webcast is meaningful and impactful, whether Burkhead wins the award or another worthy finalist wins.

LINK to Randy's blog

 

[kchusker_chris]

was never in doubt

 

[GSG]

 

[The Dude]

Awesome.

:laughpound

I've never seen that one before.

 

[ladyhawke]

Excellent! Congratulations to Rex and Team Jack!

 

[NoLongerN]

Apparently diseases are nonexistent in the SEC.

Plenty of diseases in the $EC ... many in the recruiting form.

 

[Warrior]

Great News!

 

[True2tRA]

This is a cause that is very close to my heart. Proud to be a Husker when we have players that represent this program the way Rex Burkhead does. Congrats to team Jack and way to go Rex for setting a great example for the Huskers around you and those to come.

I would also like to add that my family attended the Husker Heroes get together this last year, that too is a great thing for the little ones and sure hope the University and the student athletes know how much it is appreciated.