Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As the Buffalo Bills make their playoff push, M&T Bank alongside The Teacher's Desk in Buffalo have launched their week-long initiative this Monday to pack thousands of backpacks for children in need.
"We're really here to give back to our community. Specifically today, in giving back to students locally in Buffalo and in the community. We're going to be putting together over 1,500 backpacks [with help of] over 80 M&T volunteers over the next few days," said Eric Feldstein, Western New York M&T Bank's Regional President.
These backpacks or "PanchoPacks" are named in honor and memory of Buffalo Bills superfan, Pancho Billa, who passed away in 2019 due to his battle with cancer. Since then, The Teacher's Desk, with the help of M&T Bank and Tops Markets, have donated over 35,000 PanchoPacks to Western New York Schools and Pancho Billa's hometown of El Paso, Texas.
What's in the PanchoPack? Everything from school supplies from notebooks to water bottles to hygeine products like a toothbrushes, a comb and hand sanitizer.
Feldstein says this initiative will be week-long and all M&T Bank employees have 40 hours of paid volunteer time. But their work won't stop at backpacks, "Throughout the entire year, our 8000 employees that call M&T Bank home are out there constantly in our community serving those in need in our broader Western New York community, so we're going to be doing a large number of other activities, some of which will be announced in the coming days."
"Our campaign this year around our partnership with the Buffalo Bills has been 'Football brings us together,' and over the next couple of weeks as supplies last, we're handing out 30,000 believe banners throughout all Western New York and Rochester branches. So irrespective if you're an M&T customer or not, come on out to a local M&T branch and we're going to be able to hand you a believe M&T Buffalo Bills banner," Feldstein adds.
Click here for more information on how to donate.