Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Keon Coleman was always the happy, smiling kid that Buffalo Bills fans fell in love with after he was drafted 33rd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It was that magnetic charisma that prompted "Bills Mafia" to perform their latest act of kindness, donating to Hope for Opelousas, a non-profit in Coleman's hometown.
"We do after school programming that starts in first grade and we build deep relationships with our students and their parents," said Loren Carriere, Executive Director at Hope for Opelousas. "We're not just doing academics but we're also doing character development and spiritual development for our kids, trying to help them navigate the minefield of life."
Coleman is one of the finest examples of those character development efforts. He and his siblings, as well as his cousins were a part of Hope for Opelousas programs during their upbringing.
Opelousas is the third oldest city in Louisiana. It has a population of around 16,000 people, and according to study by Stacker, is the third poorest city in the state, with 43.3% of residents living below the poverty line.
"Our people struggle, but we have some of the most loving and amazing people that you will ever meet," said Carriere.
Whether Bills fans knew about the kind nature of the city's residents or not, they chose to help the town out anyway. Carriere says it started on May 1 when the group sent out a notification email to past members about a giving day they were participating in. Coleman was on that list and posted about it on social media.
"Wednesday night all through the night things went crazy. I woke up and I'm like 'gah-lee, do these people sleep?'" Carriere said. "It was all over the country, all kind of different times."
Carriere says the donations continued all throughout the weekend.
In all, Bills Mafia helped to raise over $180,000 for Hope for Opelousas. Carriere says that money came from 845 new donors, all of which are Bills fans.
"I just wanna say thank you. Never would've thought I'd be part of the 'Mafia'!" Carriere said with a chuckle. "I didn't even know Bills Mafia existed until now. But it's a super sweet connection and it gives us a lot of joy to know that our boy is in such a wonderful place with wonderful people."
So, are the folks in Opelousas Bills fans now? Carriere thinks so.
"God bless the Bills Mafia, and we can't wait to see 17-0 all the way to the Super Bowl."
Donations to Hope for Opelousas can be made here.