ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills Linebacker Tyrel Dodson spent his day off helping our community, by gifting $500 Target gift cards to single moms from Lackawanna.
For Dodson, this mission is personal.
After watching how hard his mom worked to make Christmas special for both him and his brother, he wanted to help other moms in our area making those same sacrifices.
“My mom was always trying to work three jobs around the holidays, just to get me the PS5 I wanted,” Dodson said.
With the help of the YWCA, Dodson found the perfect women to support this holiday season.
Single moms like Monet Walker-Finch and Stacey Wojnowicz have experienced those same struggles that Dodson’s family has.
“It’s a lot during this time of the year,” Walker-Finch said. “It’s a lot on single mothers especially, girls like me who really have no help or outlets.”
“It’s hard, because there’s a million things you want, but then you don’t ‘need’ them,” Wojnowicz said.
This mission has been something Dodson has wanted to host since he was a kid.
“In high school, I was like ‘if I ever make it to the league, I’m going to give back to single moms.’ … I love to give back to a city that gave me so much.”
He fulfilled that by pairing with Gabe’s Collision to give each family $500 to spend at Target.
Together, they gave four different women and their children a stress-free and very Merry Christmas.
“I’m not counting the prices. I’m not looking at the numbers and stressing while comparing and contrasting,” Walker-Finch said. “I’m actually getting what my children wanted. I’m fighting back tears.”
To make sure no mom shopped alone, Dodson also invited all the Bills linebackers to come along too.
Terrel Bernard and Tyler Matakevich helped Walker-Finch buy gifts for her 11-year-old son.
“It took [away] every worry. Every stress I had on my shoulders just disappeared instantly,” Walker-Finch said.
Dorian Williams and Baylon Spector stuck around to help Dodson wrap all the new Christmas gifts.
“I was running around the house,” Wojnowicz said. “I was super excited. I couldn’t wait to tell everybody.”
Sealing a very happy holidays for four local families.
