On Monday, July 16, Bills head coach Sean McDermott took some time out of his day to host a few young visitors at One Bills Drive. Meeting up with three children from Oishei Children's Hospital, McDermott spent his morning working with the group on a special project - designing a New Era knit cap.
After greeting the youngsters, McDermott walked them through the ADPRO Sports Training Center, where they made stops at the locker room and weight room. Along the way, the trio had a chance to meet a few Bills players, including veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. Smiling from ear to ear, the children arrived at their last stop – the team meeting room. While sitting beside McDermott, the kids had a chance to brainstorm ideas for an original New Era knit cap.
"It was a ton of fun," said McDermott. "I got a chance to meet three special children and we had a chance to spend an hour or so together and we toured around our facility. We had a chance to meet some of our players and staff and then we put our collective minds together and really, I did a lot of listening, and we designed, what I think, is going to be a special knit for years to come."
The unique experience is one that proved inspiring for everyone involved, including Bills partner, New Era.
"Having the opportunity to partner with the Bills, Coach McDermott and the Oishei Children's Hospital to give back to our community is something we're very thankful for," said Josh Feine, Vice President Sports Marketing & Corporate Sponsorships, New Era. "Seeing Coach bring smiles to the faces of the kids today makes it that much more meaningful. It's something we're extremely grateful to be a part of."
"That's the biggest part of this, what this is all about," said McDermott. "Making hopefully a memory for these young children and also the many children out there who wake up every day and have a bigger challenge than what we have. It's also for us about being grateful for what we have and realizing that in this city and across the country, we're one team. I know we play on individual teams in the NFL but it's all about helping each other."
The knit cap will be released later in the 2018 season. Check back on Buffalobills.com for more information.
