Buffalo, NY - A heartwarming display of sportsmanship by two Canisius University sophomores has captured national attention and raised more than $144,000 for diabetes research, transforming just another NFL playoff game into a story of compassion and community impact.
The story began in response to social media hostility following the Buffalo Bills-Baltimore Ravens divisional playoff game on January 19 and evolved into a viral fundraising campaign that has garnered coverage from nearly 200 media outlets across the country, including The New York Times, CBS Mornings, ESPN, NFL.com, USA Today, the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Positive, and the Baltimore Ravens.
The initiative was launched by Nicholas Howard '27 and Ryan Patota '27, co-creators of thebuffalobrief, an Instagram account that shares Buffalo Bills news and game recaps with 11.4k followers. When Ravens tight end Mark Andrews failed to catch a game-tying 2-point conversion and faced backlash of hostile comments, Howard and Patota saw an opportunity to change the narrative.
"Ravens TE Mark Andrews was receiving death threats and nasty comments after his performance," says Howard, a sport management major.
He and Patota, a journalism major, decided to channel the energy of Bills Mafia and shift the conversation in a more positive direction.
They launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for Breakthrough T1D, a cause close to Mark Andrews' heart. The nonprofit organization focuses on curing, preventing and treating Type 1 diabetes, a condition Andrews successfully manages in his NFL career.
The campaign began on Monday, Jan. 20, with a modest $5,000 goal. What happened next exceeded all expectations. As of January 28, the fundraiser has collected an astounding $144,231, demonstrating the tremendous impact of sports fans coming together for a worthy cause.
"The response has been incredible," Howard told The Baltimore Sun. "At first, it was just Bills Mafia, but as it grew, we've received a lot of Ravens fans, Texans fans, all kinds of fans donating to the fundraiser. We’ve had Ravens fans hitting up our DMs on Instagram saying, 'We love what you're doing. We appreciate it.' ... It's very heartwarming getting those messages."
The initiative also caught the attention of Breakthrough T1D, which released a statement to ESPN thanking Howard, Patota and Bills fans for their generosity.
"Breakthrough T1D greatly appreciates the generosity of the Buffalo Bills community and the many fans who were compelled to donate after Sunday's game. These donations will support research and advocacy on behalf of the 1.6 million Americans who, like Mark Andrews, live with Type 1 diabetes."
The students' campaign continues a long tradition of charitable giving by Bills fans.
In 2018, Bills Mafia donated more than $100,000 to quarterback Andy Dalton's foundation after he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Week 17 win that helped the Bills clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 1999. In 2020, fans raised more than $1 million for Oishei Children's Hospital in memory of quarterback Josh Allen's grandmother who passed away.
