Fans Donate in Support of Buffalo Bills Kicker After Missed Playoff Field Goal

The NFL famously has a very passionate fan base, sometimes to a fault. After the Buffalo Bills missed a field goal late in the Jan. 21 playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs — which may have tied up the game and given the former team a shot at defeating the defending Super Bowl champs — some people went as far as to blame Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass for the loss.

And, beyond that, some even sent him threatening messages over social media, causing him to deactivate his X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

In response to the online harassment, many fans took the initiative to donate to a cause close to Bass’ heart: Ten Lives Club, a non-kill cat adoption nonprofit based out of Blasdell, New York, just an eight-minute drive from the Bills’ home at Highmark Stadium. Bass is an ambassador for the organization.

People flooded their phone lines looking to support the kicker with a $22 donation in his name, a reference to his No. 2 jersey, according to a Jan. 23 Instagram post from the nonprofit.

Donations didn’t only come in from the Bills fanbase, but from the broader community of NFL fans.

“Ravens fan here!! Love this charity and I just made a donation!! Thanks for the beautiful work you do, and thanks Tyler for spreading the love for animals,” wrote Instagram user @pulcinidani, applauding the organization and the response with a clapping hands emoji.

Other commenters mentioned donating from New Jersey and New Mexico, and one Houston Texans fan chimed in that they had also donated.

“Donated because there is more to life than a game, no one deserves to be threatened,” wrote Instagram user @elisamm03 in another comment. “He is a phenomenal player but we are humans first and foremost. What a great cause.”

As of Feb. 1, just 11 days after the Bills-Chiefs game, $377,000 had been raised for Ten Lives Club, and the nonprofit decided to honor the player with an ice sculpture. The sculpture was sponsored by Cellino Plumbing, a local business.

Not only does the ice sculpture recognize Bass and his continued support of Ten Lives Club, but it also serves as a reminder of the ongoing outpouring of donations. It reaffirms the message that the nonprofit presented when the attacks on Bass first began: We are with him, and you can support him by supporting us.