Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It's about the community of Buffalo and the team of Buffalo, the Buffalo Bills."
M&T Bank hosted a Bills "Play-ay-ay-off Rally" on Thursday at the Seneca One Tower in Downtown Buffalo to kick off, what's hopeful to be a long playoff run for the team this January and into February.
A large number of Bills fans gathered to celebrate the Bills' fifth-straight playoff appearance, and cheer them on as they get ready to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
"It's such an exciting time for us, where we're going into playoffs. That's what you want to do. And for us at M&T, we love to participate in these community rituals, standing side-by-side with the fans," said Francesco Lagutaine, Chief Marketing Officer with M&T Bank. "What we love about football is that it brings the community together. Today, we don't have race, we don't have gender, we don't have socioeconomic status. We only have Bills fans, and we're here for the ride. And we're hoping for the Big Game."
Also a part of Thursday's festivities in Downtown Buffalo, as part of a mobile playoff rally making four stops across the City of Buffalo, included former Bills linebacker Darryl Talley, the Bills Stampede Drumline, mascot Billy Buffalo, and DJ Milk.
Thursday's mobile playoff rally was part of M&T Bank’s "Football Brings Us Together" campaign – a community-focused initiative launched by M&T to celebrate Buffalo’s diversity and the values and passions that bring Bills fans together. The campaign also promotes Bills players’ unique bond with their fans – one that keeps growing year after year.
"We've been with the Bills since 1985. The partnership with the Bills, it's grown through the years, and it's truly become a partnership with a capital P," Lagutaine said. "In a way, there's unity of intent, in terms of really bringing the community of Buffalo, uplifting the community of Buffalo. But at the same time, for us at M&T, knowing that we have this privilege and relationship, it gives us enormous pleasure to be able to share it with the city. That's why we love to organize events like this, because we can bring our partners, the Bills, and help the community celebrate them."
As for Thursday's turnout, Lagutine says it was a nice pleasant surprise to see the number of fans attending to cheer on the Bills to a hopeful Super Bowl run.
"We always prepare and we're always an optimist, but we're always surprised. It just shows just how much the City of Buffalo cares for this team," he said. "On a day like today, for so many people to come out and participate and celebrate, it's incredible. So there's way more than we had wished for."
Fans can still celebrate the Bills' upcoming playoff run with M&T Bank’s "Billieve Together" banners. M&T is giving away 30,000 banners at its branches in Western New York and Rochester, and supplies are going fast.