Students Welcome to Apply for ‘Sacks for CF’ Scholarships
Students living with cystic fibrosis (CF) and attending or starting college, either at the undergraduate or graduate level, are invited to apply for one of 30 “Sacks for CF” scholarships.
The annual program is run by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with CF. Every time a quarterback is sacked during NFL Monday Night Football games, the scholarship program will receive a donation from a corporate partner of the foundation.
Individuals can also pledge to help support these scholarships — either on a per-sack basis, or simply through a donation — on its “pledge it” website. People are also encouraged to help support the campaign by spreading awareness on social media and other outlets.
Students with CF will be chosen to receive monetary awards supporting their studies based on their academic success, as well as their adherence to CF therapies (i.e., taking treatments as directed).
Scholarship applications are open online through Jan. 7, 2022.
In addition to filling out the online application, interested students must also provide a recent photo, and a letter from their doctor (on official letterhead) confirming their CF diagnosis and discussing their therapy routines. Applicants also must submit an academic transcript (from high school, college or graduate school), a detailed breakdown of tuition costs at their institution, and W2 forms for both parents.
The Boomer Esiason Foundation was founded by the former NFL quarterback Norman Julius “Boomer” Esiason after he and his wife learned that their son had CF.
“Every family who’s ever dealt with a CF diagnosis knows that words are incredibly ineffective at explaining the feelings and the fears racing through your mind at that time. In that moment, my priorities shifted: winning the Super Bowl unfortunately took a back seat to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis,” Esiason said in a video about the Sacks for CF initiative.
In addition to supporting work into better treatments, the foundation runs programs like its scholarship and transplant grant funds to improve the lives of people with CF.
“I am awed and humbled by the overwhelming support that my family and the Boomer Esiason Foundation has received over the years from friends, staff, and of course the CF community,” Esiason said.
The Sacks for CF Scholarship program is supported by the biopharmaceutical company AbbVie.
About the Author
