BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Bills Mafia really showed out this week, reminding everyone who the best NFL fan base really is!
Buffalo Bills fans all across the county rallied behind the nonprofit "VIA: Visually Impaired Advancement.
This after a Facebook post was made about the first donation coming from a Bills fan, in Massachusetts.
The fan 7ABC interviewed on Tuesday, was Hunter Schinabeck, who donated $17 in honor of quarterback Josh Allen, after fans challenged the referee calls from Sunday's game against the Tampa Buccaneers.
Since then, more than 1,200 donations have come in, totaling to roughly $40,000, in less than 24 hours.
We have seen an incredibly charitable day! Our new total is $40,000. We appreciate your support #BillsMafia! We will keep you updated. #VisuallyImpairedAdvancement #GoBills pic.twitter.com/DM2GYjymD8
— VIA: Visually Impaired Advancement (@viawny) December 15, 2021
VIA responded by holding a press conference to thank fans for turning a negative outcome into a positive moment for the community, Tuesday morning.
"Yes, I am a big Bills fan. It means a lot. The support was amazing, I was shocked when I found out what was happening. I found out from an employee, through an email. I was totally surprised from the support," VIA client and staff member, Jordan Bursie said. "I would never have known to even navigate to the city, walking down the streets or even navigating this through everyday life. They help with guaranteeing learning how to cook, learning how to fold, wash, iron clothes."
Congressman Brian Higgins said, "What we learned from these kinds of programs and the people that we run into, is the people that are visually impaired, they have great vision about what it is they want to do with their lives and to try to get the skills necessary to be independent."
Bursie shared that he lost his eyesight at age 19.
VIA announced the funds raised from this will go towards things like education, vision rehabilitation, job training, and job placement.
