On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills and their fans became huge Bengals fans for a day when Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on fourth-and-12 that knocked out the Ravens and secured Buffalo’s first playoff berth since 1999.
THE @BENGALS!
TOUCHDOWNNNN!
WOW. #Bengals50 https://t.co/NB78jk9U2a
— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2018
As the Bills players watched postgame, the room erupted and teammates hugged and cheered when Cincinnati scored their miraculous touchdown.
Watching this on repeat all day. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/vq7sFAumHq
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 1, 2018
Suddenly, Bills fans became so thankful to be in the playoffs that they wanted to show their appreciation to Bengals QB Andy Dalton and did so by donating money to Dalton’s foundation.
To all the Bills fans that are donating to my foundation, thank you. We appreciate the support. If you are interested in donating visit https://t.co/9SMNu78Znq
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 1, 2018
“I think I’m the hottest guy in Buffalo right now,” Dalton said to the media on Monday. “According to my Twitter, I think everybody’s loving us right now. Obviously that’s a crazy fan base, and they’re all pretty excited.”
Dalton shared on his twitter page late Monday Night that they had received over 2500 donors and over $57,000 since the Bengals win.
In the 24 hours since the 1st donation came in, over 2500 donors and just over $57,000 and counting! Last update for the night! I will update tomorrow. We can’t thank y’all enough!
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 2, 2018
Dalton and the Bengals missed the playoffs in a disappointing season, but Andy can take solace in knowing that many people will be helped on a greater level through his foundation.
“We’re appreciative of that. Obviously they’re helping out a good cause. It’s been pretty fun to see the reaction we’ve gotten,” Dalton said.
Dalton and his wife Jordan formed the foundation after he was drafted by the Bengals in 2011. The foundation “provides support, resources, opportunities and life-changing experiences to seriously ill and physically challenged children and their families.”
The foundation issued this statement on Monday:
“Buffalo fans are a class act,” it read. “Thank you for showing your appreciation to Andy Dalton by supporting the families we serve. All of your donations will go to our outreach programs. We can do more with your help.”
