Buffalo Bills fans rejoiced when the Cincinnati Bengals secured an unlikely win with an amazing fourth-down play last week that catapulted Buffalo into the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
Bills fans were so grateful that they began donating money to Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s foundation. Dalton’s 49-yard touchdown pass won the game with less than a minute left.
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By Wednesday night, Bills fans had donated nearly $250,000 to the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation. And Tyler Boyd noticed.
Boyd, who caught the touchdown pass, played at Clairton and Pitt before making it to the NFL, and sent out a tweet saying he has a cause as well.
"He said, "Mom, 'I'm getting all these messages, and I'm getting all these messages,' and I said, 'Well, let's set something up and we'll see how it goes," said Boyd's mother, Tonya Payne.
Boyd figured he'd try his luck, tweeting:
For any of the fans at Buffalo still generous enough to donate here is the link to help support my cause Thank You https://t.co/UaQBtZW6KQ
— Tyler Boyd (@boutdat_23) January 3, 2018
It's the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association. Boyd grew up playing in that organization and Payne is its president.
Buffalo Bills fans are responding big time.
They raised $20,000 in the first nine hours. By Thursday evening, they've donated more than $40,000, mostly in symbolic $17 increments.
Payne still can't believe it.
"Completely floored," she said. "very unexpected."
One man who said he donated wrote this on the page:
"Buffalove to you and yours. Money on its way. Thanks for the tremendous effort."
Boyd tweeted a big thank you and said the money would be used for new equipment and travel arrangements for the kids.
You guys are donating to a youth football organization that I grew up playing in and would mean so much to me if I can help improve structure new equipment, travel arrangements etc. Not only the football organization where I grew up but many more 🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Tyler Boyd (@boutdat_23) January 3, 2018
"It will help them balance out," Payne said. "It might not cover everything, but it's at least going to help out for this 2018 season."
She told Channel 11 she's proud that Tyler hasn't forgotten where he came from. Most of the teams in the league are in low-income areas and most of the players come from single-family homes.
"It's just good to give back," she said.
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