BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bills Mafia is the recipient of the 2024 Red Cross Animal Rescue Real Heroes for donating more than $400,000 to the Ten Lives Club.

What You Need To Know

  • Bills Mafia is the 2024 Red Cross Animal Rescue Real Hero

  • The fanbase raised more than $400,000 for the Ten Lives Club after kicker Tyler Bass missed a game-changing field goal during playoffs

  • The Ten Lives Club is using the funds to build a new facility

  • Del Reid, Bills Mafia co-founder, is accepting the award on behalf of the fanbase

After Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass made a wide-right, playoff run-ending kick against the Kansas City Chiefs, he became the subject to hefty online criticism. The kicker even deleted his social media temporarily. 

In order to bring some light to the situation, Bills Mafia found out that Bass had an affinity for animals and started raising money for Buffalo’s Ten Lives Club. The shelter houses homeless cats, spays and neuters them, and finds them new homes. 

Kimberly LaRussa, Ten Lives Club public relations manager, said that in the organization’s 20 years, they have saved 40,000 cats, and the donations from Bills fans will only help them save more. Additionally, the funds will help the shelter expand into a new facility with more space to care for them.

“It's going to be a beautiful thing,” LaRussa said. “It's going to be a remarkable facility where you can come in and meet the cats and get that one on one attention to adopt them. It's going to be a cat campus where it's all encompassing to help the cats.”

Bills Mafia co-founder Del Reid accepted the award on behalf of Bills fans and said this is how the rest of the world gets to know the fanbase better.

“For that to be that connection between the team and the fans in the community, I think it's wonderful,” he said. 

And thats why the Bills Mafia is the recipient of the 2024 Red Cross Animal Rescue Real Heroes.