UK Golisano's Lift Them Up program sparks joy for Little Blue Nation

Wearing his football Crocs, 4-year-old Tommy Smith looks around at the thousands of fans cheering his name. He waves and claps as he is immersed in the sound of Kentucky fans encouraging him down the Cat Walk, the same path traveled by his favorite football team. 

This is how UK does Saturdays in the fall. Big Blue Nation fills the seats at Kroger Field and rallies behind every first down the Wildcats gain. But beyond the wins, losses and tailgates, a story more meaningful unfolds in Lexington. At every home football game, a pediatric patient is honored as a Golisano Children’s at UK Lift Them Up Kid of the Game. This special member of Little Blue Nation is invited onto the field and featured on the video screens, allowing fans to listen to their inspiring story. The Lift Them Up Kid of the Game program honors joy, courage, perseverance and strength while giving a once-in-a-lifetime experience to Kentucky kids. 

The Lift Them Up Kid of the Game initiative highlights how community partnerships can impact those who need joy most. This game-day tradition recognizes Kentucky’s kids in partnership with UK HealthCare and UK Athletics. By connecting compassion with athletics, Lift Them Up brings patients and their families encouragement while highlighting the miraculous treatments provided at Golisano Children’s. 

Lift Them Up launched in 2018 and has since been a “Caturday” tradition in partnership with UK Athletics, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky and UK College of Engineering. Additionally, UK Football players like Luke Fortner, former offensive lineman, have played an instrumental role in this program. Fortner helped pioneer the program by assisting in designing the pushcart and volunteering at Golisano Children’s.  

The featured patient experiences unforgettable moments, including being pushed down the Cat Walk in the custom pushcart while fans cheer them on. Alyssa Abend, a market development manager at UK HealthCare, coordinates game-day magic behind the scenes, ensuring each Lift Them Up kid has a positive experience from before they start the Cat Walk to when they leave Kroger Field.

Her favorite moment is seeing the patients and their families walk through the Cat Walk. “They’re always wide eyed and excited and they’ve all come a long way to get to that point,” Abend said.

A game-day tradition

From interacting with UK’s two mascots, the Wildcat and Scratch, to breaking down a UK Football practice, the Kid of the Game is included meaningfully in game-day rituals. 

Tommy was the Lift Them Up kid when the Cats played Eastern Michigan in 2025.

“Tommy has been through a lot,” said Ashley Witt, Tommy’s mother. “Thank you for a memory of a lifetime, making him feel special and making the hard things seem not so bad.” 

These experiences also leave a lasting impact on the UK HealthCare team that organizes this program for patients at Golisano Children’s. Christina Briggs, director of the hospital’s affiliate network, initiated the Lift Them Up program when she was a market development manager. 

“There truly are no words to describe what the Lift Them Up program has meant to our patients, their families, and me personally,” said Briggs. “This program has been a light of joy during difficult times. It has afforded families a chance to take a break from reality and step into a once-in-a-lifetime experience where their hardships are recognized, and their successes are celebrated.”

The Lift Them Up program is a joint effort and a testament to the Lexington community. The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment ensures the pushcart has a home during the season. The Compass Group keeps the families fed during the game. JMI Sports provides pre-game hospitality. The Ronald McDonald House provides a place “where anticipation builds, nerves settle, and excitement takes over before the Cat Walk,” Briggs said. 

The patient’s  on-field recognition stops time, allowing a stadium of 61,000 fans to reflect on what truly matters — not wins or losses, but compassion and bringing hope to those who need it the most. Lift Them Up has done just that for patients and their families since 2018. 

“This initiative exists because people across athletics, healthcare, academics and industry chose to believe in something bigger than themselves,” Briggs said.