Bills Mafia’s impact goes beyond football, giving back to the community year-round

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bills Mafia is known around the country for its passion, and, of course, breaking tables — but that passion doesn’t stop when the season ends. Fans across New York state have been turning their love for the Bills into year-round efforts to help their neighbors.

The Bills play 17 regular-season games — and in some years, a few playoff games — but that community is there 365 days a year. From food drives to fundraisers to bringing fans together for a cause, this is a different side of Bills Mafia. 

The heart of this fanbase, as told by 26 Shirts founder and owner Del Reid, may be found far from the stadium.

“The very first tailgate that we had did not involve tables, but it had a donation component to it," said Reid. "And there was always a basket raffle, or a 50/50, or some sort of fundraising component.”

Reid, who helped coin the term “Bills Mafia,” said that community spirit is what makes this fanbase different. 

“The percentage of time that actually stuff is going on the field compared to the rest of the year, I think it just goes to show how much this community loves supporting not only itself, but other communities," said Reid.

That spirit has shown up in fundraisers for local families, children’s hospitals and even charities connected to opposing players. And that generosity has made its way into the work of FeedMore WNY.

Catherine Shick, FeedMore WNY's chief communications officer, said the support comes in the form of food drives, fundraisers and volunteer hours. 

“Western New York is Bills Mafia, and Bills Mafia embodies love and generosity and community spirit," said Shick. "It is truly remarkable to see how giving this community is, and how they rally together to support their fellow neighbors.” 

And FeedMore WNY's numbers from just last year show how much those volunteers matter. 

“FeedMore WNY relied on more than 4,200 volunteers who donated more than 113,000 hours of their time," said Shick. "So when you try to put a monetary value on that impact, that equates to more than $4.3 million in value.”

It’s not just the big names or biggest fundraisers. The Bills Mafia Babes are using their network to turn their annual meetups into another way to give. 

“Being a babe, being a Bills fan, talking about football and helping those that need help," said Bills Mafia Babes co-coordinator Suzanne Halberstadt. "And we were pretty successful this year. We were really excited that we raised more than double what we have in the past.”

For Reid, that’s the part of Bills Mafia he hopes people see beyond the table-breaking.

“We love our team, we tailgate hard, we give hard," said Reid. "We love this team, we love our community and we express it 24/7.”

And for the Mafia Babes, that’s the legacy they want to carry into the season.

“I think that we like to be known as the fans that care," said Bills Mafia Babes co-coordinator Jeanna Ross.

Because across New York, being a Bills fan isn’t just about what happens on Sunday. It’s about what you do for your neighbor the other 365 days of the year.

And there is no shortage of opportunities to give back. The Bills Mafia Babes are raising money this month for running back Ray Davis’ Beat the Odds Foundation to support foster children, and FeedMore WNY said its annual Huddle for Hunger food drive is returning to the new Highmark Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.