The combination of being in the presence of Penn State strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald while doing something for a good cause is a tough one to beat.

This Thursday night, students have the opportunity to do just that through the Uplifting Athletes Push-Up Challenge at Nittanyville. Twenty teams consisting of ten students will work to complete 7,000 total push-ups to raise awareness for the 7,000 rare diseases that different Chapters of Uplifting Athletes focus on.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. outside Gate A of Beaver Stadium and will feature coverage from Big Ten Network. Those who cannot attend the event in-person will be able to contribute to the goal of 7,000 by tweeting their push-up results to @UpliftingAth using the hashtag #BTNLiveBig.

Over the past two weeks, Fitzgerald has done the worm with his shirt off in 37 degree weather at Purdue and a somersault on the field before Saturday’s game against Nebraska. He and his staff will be present to help count the push-ups and encourage students on Thursday. His presence alone should be enough for people to participate, but the event will also feature an appearance by the Nittany Lion, music, free food, and the chance to win prizes including $300 for the team that does the most push-ups.

To register, an email should be sent to [email protected] that includes the names of the ten team members, and this should be done quickly with space limited to twenty teams.

The Uplifting Athletes Push-Up Challenge is completely free, but those who come to watch or do push-ups are asked to bring canned goods in order to help “Stuff a Blue Bus” to fight hunger in Pennsylvania.

Now drop and give Craig Fitzgerald 7,000.