Lehigh Athletes Partner With Team Impact For Disability

Student athletes are hosting a community tailgate and relay on October 31 to support children with chronic illnesses.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Special Needs

Lehigh Athletes Partner With Team Impact For Disability

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Lehigh University student athletes are teaming up with the nonprofit organization Team Impact to advocate for children living with disabilities. The initiative follows a month of fundraising efforts led by students to promote inclusion through collegiate sports programs.

Why it matters

The program aims to foster a sense of community for children with chronic illnesses by integrating them into the university's sports culture. These pairings provide participants with meaningful fellowship and long-term support from student athlete mentors.

Student athlete Ethan Smith completed a daily 5k run throughout September, frequently covering at least 3.1 miles and reaching up to eight miles on one occasion. The program also involves intensive preparation, including a three-day training summit.

The players

Ethan Smith

He is a student athlete at Lehigh University who completed a month-long daily run challenge to benefit Team Impact.

Abby Felkai

She is a student athlete who attended a fellowship training summit in Boston to prepare for collaborative work with children.

Lehigh University

This is the Bethlehem-based higher education institution whose athletic programs collaborate with the nonprofit organization.

Team Impact

This is a nonprofit organization that matches children with chronic illnesses or disabilities with local collegiate sports teams.

The details

Lehigh athletes engage in fellowship training to effectively collaborate with the athletic department and children in need. By matching collegiate teams with children facing chronic illnesses, the program ensures participants remain connected to the campus community.

Ethan Smith completed his daily 5k run throughout September 2026.
Abby Felkai attended a Team Impact fellowship summit in Boston during the summer of 2026.
Lehigh students are scheduled to host a tailgate and relay event on October 31, 2026.

Culture Shift

Collegiate sports teams are increasingly moving beyond traditional recruitment to embrace community-building roles through the Team Impact collegiate team-matching model. This shift highlights a broader societal trend of using athletic platforms to drive advocacy and inclusivity for youth.

Bethlehem residents are invited to support the upcoming tailgate and relay to engage directly with the university community and disability awareness programs. Participation provides a tangible way for families to show support for local children currently matched with student athletes.

The takeaway

Supporting local students in their charitable efforts can create lasting community bonds for children facing significant health challenges. Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming campus events to help reach local fundraising goals.

What happens next

Lehigh student athletes will host a Team Impact tailgate and relay event on October 31, 2026. Ethan Smith has also indicated plans to undertake an additional fundraising challenge if the team reaches its current financial goal.