Bills fans rally to raise $60,000 for charity to help Ravens TE Mark Andrews
Once again, the Bills Mafia has turned a challenging situation into something positive.
In recent days, the Buffalo Bills fanbase has joined forces to gather over $60,000 (as of this writing) for Breakthrough T1D, a non-profit dedicated to Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy—a cause supported by Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in the past.
On Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Ravens in the playoff divisional round, partly due to a couple of key mistakes by Andrews, including a crucial dropped pass. Following the game, Andrews faced a barrage of online backlash from some Ravens fans and those who lost bets, who blamed him for the loss.
In response to this situation, a Bills fan named Nicholas Howard initiated a GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising money for Breakthrough T1D.
“As many of you know, Ravens TE wasn’t able to secure the game-tying 2-point conversion, which upset many Ravens fans,” Howard explained in the campaign description. “Furthermore, he has been subjected to death threats and hurtful comments following his performance. We encourage Bills Mafia to contribute to Mark’s charity for Type 1 diabetes. Let’s aim for a goal of at least $5,000.”
As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe has successfully raised over $63,000.
The initiative garnered enough attention that the Ravens acknowledged it on their official social media account on X.
“We want to give a shout-out to Bills Mafia for supporting our player Mark Andrews and donating to the [Breakthrough T1D] organization,” the Ravens tweeted.
Breakthrough T1D also expressed gratitude to Bills fans in a statement to ESPN.
“Breakthrough T1D sincerely appreciates the generosity shown by the Buffalo Bills community and all the fans who were inspired to donate following Sunday’s game,” the organization stated. “These contributions will aid research and advocacy for the 1.6 million Americans, like Mark Andrews, who live with Type 1 diabetes.”
According to the Ravens’ website, choosing Breakthrough T1D as the beneficiary of Bills Mafia’s kindness was a fitting choice.
“The organization holds a special significance for Andrews, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9 and continues to manage it daily,” noted Ravens Editorial Director Ryan Mink. “He monitors his blood sugar levels between offensive series.”
“Andrews has actively advocated for this cause and has served as a youth ambassador for Breakthrough T1D.”
This fundraising effort is just the latest instance of Bills Mafia demonstrating their support for charitable causes.
In 2018, Bills fans collectively donated over $100,000 to the AJD Foundation, established by quarterback Andy Dalton, after he guided the Bengals to a Week 17 victory (ironically, over the Ravens) that allowed the Bills to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 1999.