BUFFALO, N.Y. — A group of volunteers came together on Tuesday to honor the memory of Buffalo Bills superfan Pancho Billa. Just before he died, Pancho Billa asked that school supplies be donated to kids in need, and the Teacher's Desk stepped up to help make that happen.
Volunteers filled bags with things like stress balls, boondoggle string, and bracelets. More than 5,000 Pancho Packs have already been donated.
The small bags assembled on Tuesday will be added to an additional 4,500, which will be packaged later this month.
John Mika is the director of the Teacher's Desk in Buffalo. When he heard about Pancho Billa's wish to help children, he worked to help collect the donations needed to help make it happen.
"A thousand of those packs, backpack, will be going to refugee children new to the Buffalo Public Schools," Mika said. "They've already received five hundred and another five hundred will go to those children as well."
Mika also mentioned sending backpacks to children in Pancho Billa's home state of Texas.
In addition to the backpacks that will be shipped to various schools, 100 backpacks will be given to children during the Bills home opener.