Bills Player Community Leadership Committee announces organizations for 2024 Inspire Change Campaign

Jan 15, 2024 at 09:07 AM

Patrick Warren

Contributing Correspondent

As the Buffalo Bills honor the remarkable life of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Player Community Leadership Committee has announced the 12 organizations the Buffalo Bills Social Justice Fund will support in 2024 as part of the NFL's Inspire Change campaign.

The campaign highlights and supports community organizations focused on education, economic development, community-police relations and criminal justice reform.

The selected organizations and their missions are as follows:

Buffalo Peacemakers
- Gang violence prevention, mentoring at-risk youth, returning citizen re-entry programs, restorative justice implementation, among many other programs
Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology
- Provides opportunities for careers through the arts, technology and workforce development
Buffalo Prep
- Invites children with top academic promise to participate in highly-personalized academic and enrichment programs to give students resources needed to succeed
Candles in the Sun Foundation
- Advance communities through education, mentorship and co-curricular activities
Compass House
- Provides runaway, homeless and street youth with safe shelter and services through a voluntary and mutually agreed-upon process in an environment that supports dignity, respect and self-reliance
Confident Girl Mentoring Program
- Foster a thriving culture where all young people can build their self-esteem and confidence through self-discovery
Homespace Corporation
- Provides a host of services to foster youth aged 14-21 years old, many of whom are pregnant and/or parenting a child or children
National Federation for Just Communities of WNY
- Human relations organization that facilitates conversations across human differences that create mutual understanding and respect
Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Inc.
- Provides youth of the City of Buffalo with recreational, educational, cultural, environmental and preventative program activities in structured, supervised and organized settings
Ramp Global Missions DBA Project Mona’s House
- Sheds light on the terrible crime of human trafficking through legislation, prevention education, youth empowerment & mentorship, restoring those that have been victimized by human trafficking
Say Yes Buffalo
- Remove barriers to educational attainment, workforce participation and economic mobility for students in public and charter schools
The Exchange at Beverly Gray

Serves the BIPOC and underrepresented entrepreneurial community in Buffalo as a conduit for business development and growth for new and existing entrepreneurs

For the PCLC, the campaign gives the players a chance to give back to a community that has welcomed them since their arrival in Buffalo.

"We've been in Buffalo for seven years now and so with these community outreach events that we've had throughout the years, going to different boys and girls clubs or go to some schools and visit some people in the community, Buffalo, for me, is home," said Micah Hyde, who leads the PCLC along with left tackle Dion Dawkins.

Hyde hosts an annual charity softball game which raised $400,000 for his IMagINe For Youth foundation last May. Hyde spent time with the Salvation Army over the summer, giving out backpacks, snacks and haircuts to children ahead of the upcoming school year.

Dawkins, who is the Bills’ nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, often spends his off days in the community, speaking at local high schools and handing out Thanksgiving dinners.

"It's important to be in the community and to be present in the community and actually do stuff that your heart really is drawn to because it isn't just about giving a check … but being present for these people here," Dawkins said.

Dawkins was also named the recipient of the Community Impact Award for the MLK Day Ceremony hosted by Mayor Byron Brown and the Division of Citizen Services for his connection with Buffalo residents, his spirit of service and his representation and advocacy for marginalized communities in Buffalo.

The NFL will honor the life of MLK with each of the 12 teams participating in Super Wild Card Weekend donning "Be Love" and "MLK" decals on their helmets. In addition, they will help launch a new initiative run by Martin Luther King III called "Realizing the Dream." The five-year campaign will launch during this weekend's games and encourages the public to contribute 100 million hours of volunteerism by what would be Dr. King's 100^th birthday.

Photos| 2023 Play 60 Gameday Experience

The Bills partner with the Independent Health Foundation and Buffalo Niagara American Heart Association on the Play 60 Challenge and Fitness for Kids Challenge programs throughout the school year, which encourage physical activity, healthy eating and overall wellness. Local students who participated in the Play 60 and Fitness for Kids Challenges were recognized on the stadium field during pre-game at the Dec. 31, 2023 Bills vs. Patriots game.