Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander has made a significant impact during his time with the Bills. Not only has the 12-year NFL veteran contributed on the field, he's been an active leader in the community. Through his ACES Foundation, Alexander's encouraging message has been heard around the country. In celebration of his efforts, it was declared 'Lorenzo Alexander Day' in Monroe County on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018.
Alexander received the proclamation from Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, who was attending Bills Training Camp, presented by Connors and Ferris, with a group of veterans from the county's Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program – a peer-to-peer mentoring and support group for veterans reintegrating into civilian life. After meeting Nick Stefanovic, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the Director of the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency, earlier this year, Alexander extended a special invitation for Stefanovic and the veterans to visit him at St. John Fisher College. As they made their way to the campus on Tuesday to watch practice and spend quality time getting to know the Pro Bowl linebacker, the veterans were ecstatic.
Lorenzo Alexander was selected as the Bills 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee. Check out photos of Alexander's work in the community.
Former Bills QB Frank Reich and Lorenzo Alexander at the annual Call to Courage Breakfast
Lorenzo Alexander visits youth at the Belle Center
Lorenzo Alexander at the Crucial Catch Family Fun Night in the ADPRO Sports Training Center
Lorenzo Alexander mentoring students at South Park High School
Lorenzo Alexander mentoring students at South Park High School
"We're here today because Lorenzo [Alexander] wanted to hang out with some of our area vets and invited us out here to honor us…and it's been really great," said U.S. Army veteran Michael Buckpitt. "I run our Dwyer program here, so to be able to call some of our program participants to come out and do this with me, just to hang out with other vets and have that comradery and be able to share it with Lorenzo, is really great."
"What an upstanding man and person Lorenzo is," said Monroe County Executive Dinolfo. "He really is a man of true passion and certainly compassion for vets as well [and] a man of his word…These are veterans who have been disabled by their service on behalf of our country and Lorenzo recognized how valuable these heroes are in our society and in our community and he wanted to do something special for them. So here we are, and we're just thrilled to participate. A huge thank you to Lorenzo and the whole Bills organization for really being so community-minded."
For Alexander, the experience, both humbling and rewarding, served as a pleasant reminder that he's making a difference.
"…Anytime anyone mentions vets, especially wounded warriors, I'm all in," explained Alexander. "Being in [Washington] D.C. for so long…I've seen the sacrifice. It's really a privilege to be able to serve them, invite them out to have a great time and enjoy the day together and that's why I did it. It's really cool and it's all humbling…It's just a blessing to be a blessing to someone else. To be honored this way, is huge. This shows that what you're doing that's genuine is coming across the right way and people are recognizing it."
