Bills Mafia will be getting some well-earned recognition on Christmas Day at the Musial Awards.
Buffalo Bills fans, represented by William Burke and Dan Konopski, will be awarded for their efforts in heading up the donation campaign to Raven's quarterback Lamar Jackson's favorite local charity after the 2020 Divisional Round playoff game.
Burke and Konopski didn't know each other before that game. They both posted on social media after the game asking people to donate in increments of $8 (Jackson's number) or more to the Louisville-based organization Blessings in a Backpack. They provide meals to children who need them on the weekends. The strangers banded together to get people to donate, and their hard work paid off. Bills Mafia donated around $200,000 just that weekend and have raised over a half-million dollars to date.
"This is bigger than sports," Konopski said via the Musial Awards website. "The only reason it succeeded is because a lot of somebodies who saw what we posted threw in $10. By itself, $10 doesn't accomplish much. But when tens of thousands of people do it so that it becomes a massive movement, each of us ends up having a profound impact on many people's lives."
Since 2005, the Musial Awards have recognized the year's greatest moments of sportsmanship and those in sports who have embodied class and character. The awards are named after St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial, a beloved baseball superstar and civic icon who was the ultimate good sport.
This honor for Bills Mafia is well earned considering how much they have given back to the Buffalo community, Bills players charities and other player charities from around the league in the past few years.
The award show will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ Christmas Day at 5 p.m. ET. In addition to the Christmas Day airing on the CBS Television Network, the one-hour show can be seen on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. ET. For more information on the Musial Awards, click here.
