Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY – Andy Dalton has never played for Buffalo. He’s never lived in Buffalo. Yet, he’s beloved in Buffalo.
Sunday, prior to a preseason game at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York, Dalton – the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, received a standing ovation from Buffalo Bills fans. The reason for the cheers? Could be a number of things – each respectable.
Last season, Dalton’s 47-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 44 seconds to play in Cincinnati’s final game of the season eliminated the Baltimore Ravens from playoff contention. In the process, it gave the Buffalo Bills their first postseason berth in 17 years.
Wide Receiver Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
As a ‘thank you’, through online donations, Bills fans donated more than $415,000 to the Andy and JJ Dalton Foundation in the days following Dalton’s game-winning TD.
Sunday, prior to Cincinnati’s preseason game vs. the Bills, Dalton made a surprise appearance at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. Andy and his wife JJ, along with board members of the Andy and JJ Dalton Foundation donated a technology Hub to the pediatric department ahead of the Bengals vs. Bills preseason game at New Era Field.
Fans hold up signs before the start of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
“The Buffalo community has given so much to our Foundation,” Andy’s wife, JJ, told Bengals.com. “As soon as the preseason calendar was released, we circled this date and knew we had to do something special. The Hub is going to be a great distraction for young patients and their families, and we’re happy to be able to make an impact in that way.”
Founded in 2011, the Andy & JJ Dalton Foundation seeks to provide opportunities, support and resources, along with live-changing experiences, to seriously ill and physically challenged children and their families. For more information, please visit its website.
