Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN/WGR Sports Radio 550) - After an "oh so close" catch on Buffalo's last possession of the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, football fans around the country are returning the favor and supporting an organization supported by Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Amy Jablonski of the Summit Foundation says Kincaid has been supporting the autism community since his college days at the University of Utah.
"He's been working with us for a little while, and he visited our school last April. It was the absolute highlight of the school year, and it was just amazing to see how heartwarming he was able to engage with our students and interact with them, and just acted completely and totally natural," said Jablonski in an interview with WBEN.
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Just like "Bills Mafia" supporting other players from other teams, minutes after the game, calls were made on social media by Bills fans and other fanbases around the league like the "Ravens Flock" and "Chiefs Kingdom" to make donations to The Summit Center.
So far, more than 160 donors have made a gift in honor of Kincaid. As of Monday afternoon, donations have reached $5,000. That leaves Jablonski with mixed feelings.
"I'm a lifelong Bills fan, so it's really bittersweet, unfortunately, that we had this loss," Jablonski said. "I think the silver lining really, is these donations. We know the 'Bills Mafia' is known for its generosity, and these donations are coming in from the Bills and from the Ravens and even some Chiefs fans as well."
Jablonski adds she's grateful for the donations.
Funds raised for the Summit Foundation are aimed at providing increased educational opportunities for students and community integration opportunities for the adults the organization works with.
"There's always been a huge need for high quality autism services in the community. I don't know if people are aware, but the prevalence of autism has reached one in 36 individuals, and there's a lot of availability for people in school, but once people graduate, programs really drop off," Jablonski noted.
Contributions can be made at www.thesummitcenter.org/donate.