Bills fans have once again shown their collective goodwill in supporting Hope for Opelousas — which played a meaningful role in Coleman’s youth.
Fans have embraced Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman with all of the energy that Bills Mafia is known for. And why not? The 33rd pick of the 2024 NFL Draft has emerged as a fun, energetic young player who has been refreshingly wholesome in all of his media appearances — being open, honest, and unapologetically himself.
So, doing what they do, Bills Mafia has collectively rallied around their “new guy” and helped raise money for an organization that made a difference in Coleman’s life while he was growing up.
#BillsMafia proved once again why they're the best fanbase in sports after donating $180,000 to a nonprofit in Keon Coleman's hometown. https://t.co/nEJQyrAzsR
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@WBEN) May 20, 2024
Hope for Opelousas, a non-profit in Coleman’s hometown, is an organization that seeks to aid in character development of the youth in one of Lousiana’s oldest cities.
“We do after school programming that starts in first grade and we build deep relationships with our students and their parents,” Loren Carriere, Executive Director at Hope for Opelousas, which serves a city that has over 43 percent of their 16,000 residents living below the poverty line, said. “We’re not just doing academics but we’re also doing character development and spiritual development for our kids, trying to help them navigate the minefield of life.”
Coleman, his siblings, and his cousins all were regular participants in the Hope for Opelousas program, and that’s all Bills Mafia needed to know in order to jump into action and show some love for the rookie. As of publishing, 845 donations from Bills fans has raised more than $180,000.
“I just wanna say thank you. Never would’ve thought I’d be part of the ‘Mafia’!” Carriere said that the donations came in all through the night and she woke up the next morning wondering if the Mafia ever sleeps. “I didn’t even know Bills Mafia existed until now. But it’s a super sweet connection and it gives us a lot of joy to know that our boy is in such a wonderful place with wonderful people.”
Anyone wanting to show their love for Coleman by donating to Hope for Opelousas can do so here.