ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) – One of the people who watched the AFC Divisional matchup between the Bills and Bengals on Sunday, Butch Rolle saw the game in a bar. In fact, the former Bills tight end watches most games in bars, specifically Bills Backers bars.
“Florida, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina,” Rolle listed the states he’s been in recently. “Places that I’m trying to just open up and venture to. A lot of areas have Bills Backers followings.”
On Sunday, he was in Orlando watching the game with transplanted Western New Yorkers there. Each of these games is an opportunity for Rolle to raise awareness for a cause important to him.
“I help kids with scholarships, tutoring, meal plans, and essential things that puts them over the top,” he said.
That’s the mission behind the Butch Rolle Caring for Kids Foundation. Rolle spent six seasons with the Bills from 1986-1991. He’s known for scoring touchdowns; 10 of his 15 career catches with the team went for scores. And fans certainly remember him.
“Some lady came up to me. She said, ‘Hey, my husband told me to do this,'” he recalled. “So what she does is bow. That’s what I used to do when I scored a touchdown. I just started laughing. I was like, ‘Look at that! That’s so cool.'”
Beyond the fun, Rolle is trying to raise awareness of his foundation’s mission with the fans.
“They appreciate what we’re doing,” he said. “Our website, it explains all of our programs and they’re there to contribute while having a good time.”
Rolle does the same in Western New York from time to time with his band. They performed in Tonawanda in July and Cheektowaga in September.
“I’m around kids all day. A lot of them have no hope. They think that nobody cares about them,” he said. “You want to make sure they understand that people do care. Somebody is out there willing to help you if you can’t make it.”
Rolle, who lives in Florida, is planning more trips and concerts Western New York this summer.
Chris Horvatits is an award-winning reporter and anchor who started working at WIVB in 2017. A Lancaster native, he came to Buffalo after working at stations in Rochester and Watertown. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.