By: Andrew Nowel, Contributor and Jon Dusza, Managing Editor
On Monday, Jan. 20, Canisius students Nicholas Howard and Ryan Patota created a GoFundMe fundraiser which has raised over $100,000 to benefit the charity Breakthrough T1D on behalf of Baltimore Ravens football player Mark Andrews following the Ravens loss to the Bills last Sunday. Howard and Patota, both sophomores, began the fundraiser in response to social media hatred directed at Andrews following his struggles in Sunday’s game against the Bills.
“The goal of [the fundraiser] was to basically cheer Mark Andrews up,” said Patota in an interview with The Griffin. “There’s an unfortunate trend that is not very acceptable,” he continued, referring to the vitriol Andrews got on social media. “It was disgusting,” Howard added.
Andrews, an All-Pro tight end for the Baltimore Ravens, struggled when the Ravens played against the Bills last Sunday, most notably dropping a pass which, if caught, would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter. The Ravens’ loss eliminated them from the NFL Playoffs, ending the team’s chance to win a Super Bowl this season.
The GoFundMe started by Howard and Patota supports Breakthrough T1D. Breakthrough T1D is a nonprofit organization that researches and advocates for type one diabetes by “connecting the brightest minds to advance treatments, influence policy, and improve access to care,” according to their website. Andrews was diagnosed with type one diabetes as a child, which is why he supports Breakthrough T1D.
The success of Andrews’ career being one of the best tight ends in the NFL since he entered the league, while dealing with medical issues, makes supporting him in his difficult time even more important, Patota explained. “People that have something to deal with in life, myself included, with a lot of medical background,” Patota said, “can look up to Mark Andrews and say, ‘Hey, this guy is playing with type one diabetes, and I have something I gotta go through [too]. I can do this.’”
“We originally set out to have a goal of only $5,000,” Howard explained about the fundraiser itself, “but since then it’s gone crazy.” This week, Howard and Patota’s fundraiser has received attention from national media outlets, including USA Today, CBS, NBC and ESPN.
“It’s really remarkable what we can do and what Bills Mafia can do,” said Howard, “we just have the voice that was able to spread this to Bills Mafia themselves.”
Howard acknowledged fans from other teams as well, and how they have donated to the fundraiser in addition to Bills fans. “It just shows that it’s much more than a sport,” said Howard about the NFL community’s response to the fundraiser. He added, “It’s much more than that.”
Howard feels that the GoFundMe is reflective of the benefits of a Canisius education. “It shows that it’s such a good college to go to,” Howard explained. “It was my first choice when I wanted to come to Buffalo for universities, and they take good care of the students here. They have good role models out there that you can follow, like cura personalis,” and the other Jesuit values, he added.
Andrews himself acknowledged the donations to Breakthrough T1D in an Instagram post from Thursday afternoon. Referring to the donations, Andrews posted, “Even when the moment seems darkest, perspective can reveal that there’s a lot of light in this world.”
All in all, the GoFundMe created by Howard and Patota is just another opportunity to use professional football as a platform to do good. NFL players “all have their own fundraisers that they spread awareness to,” Howard said, and “that’s the thing that NFL players are able to do. And it’s very special, we need to appreciate it more.”