BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As Bills fans wait to see what the team will do in the NFL Draft’s first round, many spent the night at the Hunter’s Hope Draft Party.
The annual event took place at Big Ditch Brewing Company to bring awareness to the Hunter’s Hope Foundation, as well as give Bills fans a chance to celebrate the NFL Draft.
The event sums up the best of Bills Mafia: celebrating Buffalo’s beloved football team with philanthropy. Hunter’s Hope is an organization raising awareness for Leukodystrophies, ensuring every newborn gets screened.
For Hall-of-Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, whose family founded Hunter’s Hope, this year’s draft reminds him a lot of the ones from the time he was selected.
“It almost reminds me of back in our day when you had me, Marino, Elway, Boomer Esiason, Bernie Kosar, I could go on and on,” Kelly said. “That’s the way the AFC is setting up now.”
Despite the tough end to last season, Bills fans are still optimistic heading into the 2023 campaign — and new talents added to the roster through the draft will hopefully get the team closer to a Super Bowl.
“I’ve had season tickets for I think 10 years now,” Bills fan Alex Kaempf said. “So I went through the bad stuff, so I’m ready for this to happen now.”
Just like the fans in attendance supporting both the team and the cause, Kelly is looking forward to seeing what the Bills do in the first round.
“It’s exciting to get ready for a draft and find out who we’re gonna take,” Kelly said. “Everybody has their opinion on what they should take. I’m a quarterback. I either want to defensive end rush to get the ball back to us or a wide receiver or maybe a good offensive lineman.”
To find out more information on Hunter’s Hope and how you can support the cause, click here.