Bills fans thank Andy Dalton for putting them into playoffs with incredible gesture
On Sunday, Andy Dalton helped the Buffalo Bills end the longest postseason drought in the NFL. A day later, Bills fans found a way to thank him for his efforts.
The Bills took care of business by squeezing out a 22-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins, but they needed the Baltimore Ravens to lose to get into the playoffs for the first time in the new millennium.
The Bengals came through with a 31-27 victory over the Ravens on Sunday. Dalton threw for three touchdowns, including a game-winning 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on a fourth-and-12 play with less than a minute remaining.
The Cincinnati win sent Buffalo to playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
While the Bills organization promised to send the Bengals some Buffalo wings to commemorate the win, the fans in Buffalo took matters into their own hands.
Thousands of Bills fans donated to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, which looks to “provide daily support, opportunities, resources, and life-changing experiences to seriously ill and physically challenged children and their families in Cincinnati and Fort Worth.”
“I think I’m the hottest guy in Buffalo right now,” Dalton joked on Monday. “According to my Twitter, I think everybody’s loving us right now. Obviously that’s a crazy fan base, and they’re all pretty excited.”
According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, many of the donations came in $17 increments to represent the 17 seasons between playoff berths for the Bills.
To all the Bills fans that are donating to my foundation, thank you. We appreciate the support. If you are interested in donating visit https://t.co/9SMNu78Znq
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 1, 2018
Since Dalton tweeted out a link to let Bills fans know how they could donate, the outpouring of support for Dalton’s foundation has been tremendous.
In the 24 hours since the 1st donation came in, over 2500 donors and just over $57,000 and counting! Last update for the night! I will update tomorrow. We can’t thank y’all enough!
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 2, 2018
The official Bills Twitter account even chimed in to help get theirs fans involved in the cause.
Bills fans, you're amazing.
After @andydalton14's last minute heroics, more than 150 of you have donated $3,250+ to Andy Dalton's @ajdfoundation to thank him.
If you'd like to join in on the fun, you can donate at https://t.co/5dPjoitL0Q! pic.twitter.com/v0nzfvv8vU
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 1, 2018
From there, the campaign took on a life of its own. Dalton sent out of a video to update fans on the progress on Tuesday afternoon.
Thank you to everybody who is donating to the @ajdfoundation! We are blown away by the support! pic.twitter.com/KPyd5X0CFR
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 2, 2018
So far, the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation has raised over $100,000 from more than 4,500 donors.
Many of the foundation’s programs revolve around helping children and their families in greater Cincinnati, especially those with special needs.
The foundation issued a statement Monday: “Buffalo fans are a class act. Thank you for showing your appreciation to Andy Dalton by supporting the families we serve. All of your donations will go to our outreach programs. We can do more with your help.”
After a long playoff drought, Bills fans finally have something to celebrate, and the way they shared their joy is something everyone can cheer.
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