CLARENCE, N.Y. — After a storied career as one of the most legendary Buffalo Bills of all time, Bruce Smith has always appreciated the love this community has given him, so he’s made a yearly tradition of giving back.
“Buffalo is right here in my heart,” Smith said. “This town embraced me as one of their own, and that’s why I feel so much a part of Buffalo.”
When our city was the target of a racist attack on May 14, 2022, killing ten people, Smith wanted to help.
“Racism has no place,” Smith said. “I just wanted to be a part in making a difference.”
Smith helps the community by supporting the Legacy 5.14 nonprofit, hosting the third Annual Bruce Smith Celebrity Gala and Golf Tournament Sunday.
Organization president Earl Perrin Jr. explained what this gala is all about.
“We raise $50,000 every year for scholarships,” Perrin Jr. said. “With those scholarships, we give $5,000 [each] to 10 Buffalo Schools students.”
While it’s a fun night out filled with drinks and live music, it serves a deeper, life-changing, purpose.
“These scholarships give them a chance to make a difference, not just economically but to actually give back [to their communities], and that’s what we really want,” Perrin Jr. said.
A generational difference made in honor of those lives lost, like Perrin Jr’s good friend Aaron Salter Jr. and Mark Talley’s mother Geraldine Talley
“It means everything,” Mark said. “Bruce Smith could be at home watching TV. Bruce Smith is taking time out of his life, out of his schedule, to be down here with us so we can try to combat the systems of hate.”
An action sparking a change noticed across the city and by Erie County chairwoman April Baskin.
“This event reflects the spirit of the City of Buffalo, which is giving to those who are in need, because we love our neighbors.”
The next round of scholarships will be given to Buffalo high school students in the coming days.
