New Trier student-athletes raise serious weight and funds in Lift for Life

New Trier athletes more than double donation to those with rare medical needs with Lift for Life campaign

More than 70 New Trier High School football and basketball players gathered on Tuesday, June 23, in the Winnetka campus’s fieldhouse last week to culminate their second Lift for Life campaign.

The program raised more than $24,000 for Uplifting Athletes, an organization dedicated to providing those with rare medical conditions memorable sports-related experiences. That total more than doubled last year’s ($11,000).

The student-athletes were divided into 10 different teams. As they participated in a variety of physical challenges, such as bench presses, obstacle courses and medicine ball throws, the room filled with laughter, cheers and friendly competition.

Recent New Trier graduates Will Baxter and Jacob Wineman started the collaboration with the nonprofit in 2025 after Baxter attended an Uplifting Athletes event with his father, who lives with a rare heart disease. Thanks to Uplifting Athletes, Will and his father attended a Chicago Sky game with three Northwestern football players.

Alex Fairchild high fives his teammates.

Afterward, Will Baxter wanted to get more involved. Doing some research, he found out the organization often collaborated with college teams but not high school teams.

He took matters into his own hands.

“I reached out to the president (of Uplifting Athletes) … we saw they had the Lift for Life at the college level but not at the high school level, so we asked,” Will Baxter said. “He was really into it and they said that they were working on developing a high school chapter. A girl named Faith helped us set it up last year.”

To plan the event, Will Baxter and Wineman collaborate with coaches, athletic directors and their teammates. They coordinated fundraising efforts and made sure the big day went smoothly.

New Trier Athletic Coordinator for Strength and Conditioning Jim Davis said the students worked hard to make the event happen.

“We have a mantra in the weight room, it’s ‘Know the way, go the way, show the way to others,’” Davis said. “They’ve worked really hard at every step, so they’re passing along their understanding and their good work in a fun way to a bunch of other people.”

New Trier is one of the first high schools to participate in the Lift for Life program. Uplifting Athletes’ Jeff Baxter (no relation to Will Baxter) plans to expand it to high schools around the country and said New Trier set the standard for future high school programming.

“It’s allowed us to … build a framework and a standard that we can replicate,” he said.

Will Baxter and Wineman wanted to make sure Lift for Life stuck around New Trier, long after they graduated. To do so, they took rising senior Rick Miller under their wing to continue the event next year.

Miller was involved with the campaign in 2025 but got even more involved this year. He said he increased his donation and encouraged others to do the same.

“This year I feel like I really pushed it out, made sure everyone was getting 100% participation,” Miller said.

To end the event, students participate in a tug-of-war competition.

The day ended with a tug-of-war challenge to determine the overall winner.

Davis reflected on the effort the athletes put into organizing the event and the bigger impact of their work.

“Both football and basketball (teams) spend a lot of time in the weight room, and they do a fantastic job — high character, hardworking people,” Davis said. “ … We talk all the time about extending one’s efforts into the community: self, team, community. Sort of in that progression. This was a natural next step for these guys, and they’ve done a fantastic job leading it this year.”

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