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Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 3 years ago on
May 19, 2022

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Josh Allen joined his Buffalo Bills teammates and athletes from the city’s other pro teams Wednesday to comfort and support those mourning the racially motivated murder of 10 people at a supermarket last Wednesday.

Time and time again, you see it on TV. You don’t ever expect it to be where you’re at. Sure enough, it’s in our backyard, and it becomes real.”Bills QB Josh Allen, speaking about racial and gun violence in America

The quarterback from Firebaugh also said that “the entire country” should adopt the “Choose Love” motto on the t-shirts of Bills players at the Tops supermarket, where the mass shooting of Black shoppers and employees was carried out by a white supremacist wearing body armor.

“Coming down here, we knew it would be heavy, it would be tough,” Allen said. “We’re here to give some hope, share some grief. I’m glad we could do that for the community.”

Watch: Josh Allen — ‘Give Some Hope, Share Some Grief’

The superstar quarterback said that Saturday’s killings brought home the reality of gun and racial violence in America.

“Time and time again, you see it on TV. You don’t ever expect it to be where you’re at,” Allen said. “Sure enough, it’s in our backyard, and it becomes real.”

Allen acknowledged that it was difficult finding the words to comfort residents.

“We’re trying to put a smile on their faces and be a beacon of joy to the community … be there to lean on,” Allen said.

Members of the Buffalo Bills pray before visiting the scene of Saturday’s shooting at a supermarket, in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (AP/Matt Rourke)

Healing Begins After a Terrible Week

Bills safety Josh Thomas draped his arm around Jamie Lash, who used to work at the supermarket.

“It means unity. It means support,” Lash said, adjusting the Bills cap another player had placed on her head.

From behind tables, Allen and other players served hot meals of chicken alfredo with broccoli and handed out lettuce, radishes, and other produce to residents.

“This week has been terrible,” said Shervon White, who lives near the store. “Just seeing the community come together means so much. To see the Bills come here, it kind of lightened the spirit of the area.”

The Buffalo Bills Foundation said it would donate $200,000 to relief efforts, an amount that will be matched by the NFL Foundation.

“This is about just filling the gap that’s in our world today with love and bringing people together,”  said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “When you affect one person in our community, you affect all of us.”

(Associated Press contributed to this article.)

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Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

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