CINCINNATI -- Quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife, Jordan, wanted to find a way to show their appreciation for their newfound fans in Buffalo with the Bengals' preseason game against the Bills coming up on Aug. 26.
Jordan Dalton will give a donation to the pediatric department of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo on behalf of the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation.
The gesture is the culmination of a saga that began on Dec. 31, 2017, when Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on fourth-and-12 with 53 seconds left in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. The touchdown essentially sealed a 31-27 win for the Bengals, and put the Bills in the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons.
"We're so thankful for everything that y'all have done for us, for our community, the families in our community through our foundation that we want to give back to y'all," Jordan Dalton said in a video posted on Andy's social media accounts, "We're forever grateful."
Dalton and the board members of the foundation will be in attendance to present the donation before going to (716) Food & Sport in Buffalo to meet with Bills fans.
Bills fans began making donations, mostly in increments of 17, to the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation and the charities of Tyler Boyd's choice as thanks. The fans raised more than $415,000 for the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation and a spokesperson said they have continued to received at least one donation every week or two since January.
The focus of the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation is to provide support and resources to families with seriously ill and physically challenged children in the Cincinnati and Fort Worth areas.
One of the programs that has been able to grow as a result of the donations is the Pass It On Fund, which raises money for medical equipment for families in need. According to the foundation, the fund gave out $465,000 in grants to 208 families last year.
"JJ and I are very excited to get back to Buffalo and support a community that gave so much to our foundation," Dalton told ESPN's Michele Steele. "The Pass it On Fund is our grant program and it was able to double in size because of all the donations that we received. So for us, we feel like it's our responsibility to pass it on and give back to Buffalo."