Redshirt junior guard Eric Shrive has been named a finalist for the Rare Disease Champion Award through Uplifting Athletes.

Shrive has raised $70,000 for Lift for Life, which supports research and raises awareness for kidney cancer, over his first four years at Penn State. Last year, he raised $32,000, which was the largest amount of the team’s more than $100,000 total. The philanthropic efforts became personal when Shrive’s uncle was diagnosed with kidney cancer in the summer of 2011. Shrive has been vice president of the chapter for the last two years and is expected to be named president for the next year.

“When you’re a Penn State football player, you have the opportunity to give back,” Shrive said. “I’ve worked extremely hard to do that.”

The award is based on the number of votes the finalist receives from the public. Voting ends on January 31. The winner will be announced on February 1, and the award will be presented to the winner at the Maxwell Football Club’s Award Gala in Atlantic City, where the 2012 senior class and head coach Bill O’Brien will each be presented with an award.

Penn State was the first chapter of Uplifting Athletes, founded in 2003 when Scott Shirley’s father was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Penn State, now one of 15 chapters, has raised more than $700,000 for Life for Life in 10 years.