Annual Player's Weekend

Each spring (March or April), the Bills Backers of Southwest Florida hosts both current and Alumni Players for a Player's Weekend.  This gives the club members a chance to meet and get to know the players of the Buffalo Bills Football Team of today and yesterday!  In years past we hosted the following:

First Annual Player's Weekend:
    Current Players: Brad Lamb and Phil Hansen
Second Annual Player's Weekend:
    Alumni Players:  Al Bemiller, Justin Cross, Will Grant, Lou Piccone,
    Ed Rutkowski, Tim Vogler
Third Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Phil Hansen, Ed Philion, Jeff Wright
    Alumni Player:  Jerry Butler
Fourth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Justin Armour, Tony Cline, John Holecek
    Alumni Player:  Ernie Warlick
Fifth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Juan Hammonds, Mike Rockwood, Matt Stevens
    Alumni Players:  Tom Day, Mike Stratton
Sixth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Ethan Albright, Marcus Spriggs
    Alumni Players:  Jeff Nixon, Booker Edgerson

Seventh Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Victor Allotey, Jerry Ross
    Alumni Players:  Charlie Ferguson, Ben Williams,
    Hall of Famer Bill Shaw (pictured)
Eighth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Pat Williams, Marcellus Wiley
    Alumni Players:  Paul Costa, Kenny Davis, Ken Jones,
    Butch Rolle,
    Hall of Famer Billy Shaw, Sherman White
Ninth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Kenyatta Wright
    Alumni Players:  Joe Cribbs, Eugene Marve, Booker Moore
    Bills Front Office Personnel:  Denny Lynch, Director of Archives
Tenth Annual Players Weekend:
    Current Players:  Pat Williams, Phil Crosby
    Alumni Players:  Jay Foreman
Eleventh Annual Players Weekend:
    Al Bemiller, Nate Clements, Phillip Crosby
Twelfth Annual Players Weekend:
    No Players Invited

Each of our Player Weekends offers a great time by all who participate and gives everyone a unique opportunity to meet some great people from a great team! 

Club Charity Activities

The Bills Backers of Southwest Florida also contributes time and money to many worthwhile charities throughout the year.  We believe it is essential to give back to the community, both here in Southwest Florida and in Buffalo.  Below is a list of organizations to which we have donated and approximate amounts donated to date.  We are able to make donations to these organizations through our club's weekly raffles held at each game, mini silent auctions held at each game, "passing-the-hat" with our membership, direct donations from the club's treasury, our Annual Charity Cruise, and through special drawings held throughout the Bills football season.

The Children's Hospital at Health Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,000
TLC - Tender Loving Care of Lee County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    500
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Lee County  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,000
Community Cooperative Ministries (Soup Kitchen/Lee County) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,200
Kelly for Kids - Jim Kelly in Buffalo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,500
Hunter's Hope - Jim Kelly's Charity for Krabbe's Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $ 7,500
Head Start Program - Montessori School  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,500
Annual Charity Cruise - Proceeds to various charities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . $ 4,000
Natural Disasters Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 3,100
Celebrity Bartending Event  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,500
HUDCO of Lee County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$    500
Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    500
Children & Families Foster Kids Program  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    500
Veterans Coalition of Lee County  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,000
Drew Bledsoe Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    500
McGregor Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    200
Harry Chapin Food Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$    200
James Kidd Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $    800
Total Donations to Date from Bills Backers of SW Florida:  . . . . . . . . . . . . $37,000

Each member of the club takes great pride in our efforts and looks forward to many more years of generous donations within our communities.