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Josh Allen spends some of his time away from the football field at Oishei Children’s Hospital, and he has developed a relationship with patients, staff and administrators.
When the Buffalo Bills quarterback mentioned that his grandmother died before last week’s game, it sparked feelings for the hospital president.
“We heard about his loss on Sunday and thought about the best for him and hoped he and his family would be comforted,” Allegra Jaros, president of OCH, told NFL.com. “And then the fans, really organically, started giving, $ 17 at a time. And in the first 24-48 hours, we were so touched and touched that we in the Buffalo community were able to show Josh and his family how much he means to us. And I hope it gave him some peace and a feeling of support. “
He did more than that. Mafia Bills donations had reached $ 483,000 by Friday night and Allen announced on Twitter that he had put them above $ 500,000 with a donation of $ 17,000 himself.
At the end of Saturday, the total had exceeded $ 563,000.
As Allen told reporters earlier in the week of the passing of Patricia Allen, whom he called Grammy: “So much good comes out of a tough situation, it means the world to me, it means the world for my family.”
Others will come. Jaros said the plan was to wait a few weeks to give Allen and his family time to mourn, then meet to discuss next steps and decide how best to use the money to recognize and remember his life.
“It could be a view, an area of the hospital, it could be a program,” Jaros explained. “It will be special for the family to see her name appear in a way that celebrates her life.”
Bills fans from all 50 states donated. On Friday evening, 10 different countries were represented, the Czech Republic being the furthest away.
“Bills fans are everywhere,” she said.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Allen was a regular visitor to the hospital to spend time with patients and give some hope to those in the stand-alone children’s hospital. Since the coronavirus hit, it has continued, but via Zoom. He quickly made a good impression on those in the hospital.
“I was really impressed with his compassion and empathy,” Jaros said. “Not just his leadership skills, but also the amazing human being that he is.”
When donations started arriving, the hospital’s website changed its donation button to a bill-themed “17” – its uniform number. Like many hospitals, LCO relies heavily on donations to their foundation.
But they’ve never seen anything like it.
“It really took us by surprise,” Jaros said. “It’s amazing the impact he has had on the community. It’s a real testament to how the Buffalo community feels about Josh.”
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