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Huddle for Hunger Week 2026 brings in a record-breaking amount of donated food

4564534783-Huddle for Hunger Gameday and Recap GraphicsWeb

The Buffalo Bills Foundation and Wegmans came together again for their annual Huddle for Hunger initiative to combat hunger in our community.

Last year's rendition of the event included a record-breaking 65,107 pounds of donated food, with the Western NY community surpassing that mark in 2026.

A new record of 70,626 pounds of food was collected this year in total.

"Food insecurity is really real here," Bills vice president of community impact Michelle Roberts said. "It's a true issue in Western New York, and this is a great way to help our neighbors in need. [Huddle for Hunger] is a great way to engage fans from across Western New York in the mission, for them to feel a little peace and do their part in supporting one another."

Along with the record-breaking amount of donated food, a total of $205,859 will be donated to the 20 Huddle for Hunger charities. $50,000 of which came from Wegmans Meals to Go, and the remaining $155,859 came from this past Sunday's 50-50 raffle on game day.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, food was collected at Highmark Stadium at the community food drive and festival. 17,565 pounds were donated and collected at the stadium that day by volunteers and the Buffalo Bills 2026 rookie class.

The Buffalo Bills Huddle for Hunger High School Challenge and Food Drive, held at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2026, brought students and the community together to support the fight against hunger across Western New York. This gallery is presented by Wegmans.

"It's amazing how many people want to come and support the community," Bills rookie outside linebacker T.J. Parker said. "This is a big thing for me. Just being able to embrace the Buffalo people, the people of Buffalo and just the city in general. It's amazing being able to provide food for people who need it for shelters and things like that."

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Ja'Mori Maclin was very active during the event, putting in effort to help the community on his 25th birthday.

"It's a blessing, man, to get around people, and just be a part of the Bills community and be around my teammates," Maclin said. "There's no better way to spend your birthday."

Local high schools competed to see who could donate the most food, with Orchard Park High School taking home first place and earning a trip inside Highmark Stadium for game day against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Chargers, Regular Season, September 27, 2026 at Highmark Stadium.

Frontier High School came away with second place, which earned them a watch party at Highmark Stadium on Oct. 18 for the Bills Week 6 matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders. Salamanca High School won Bills prize packs for their third-place performance.

"We've seen incredible amounts of food," Roberts said. "There are schools that have come in beyond what they've ever done before, and it's been really good to see them come together and come around this."

On top of the food collected at the stadium, 37,286 pounds were donated by Lactalis, 1,872 pounds were donated by Allen Family Farms, 10,000 pounds were donated by Wegmans and 3,903 pounds were collected in Rochester.

Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas was also in attendance for the food drive and festival. Thomas has been a part of the event many times in the past, helping show the rookies what it truly means to be a Buffalo Bill.

"I've been doing it now for several years, and I just love how we come out here and let Buffalo know what we do here as a community," Thomas said.

"They're not really used to this unless you're in that type of community and you're doing these things growing up," Thomas added. "You come here, you think, 'Oh, it's just football.' No, it's more than football. It's a community that loves the Bills, and that's why these players are out here."

For Roberts, the same sentiment rings true, appreciating how much the team and the community can work together to make a difference.

"We hope that it shows them how easy it is to give back, how much it means to everyone here in Western New York to have them involved within our community, and how simple it is," Roberts said. "It's about showing up, just doing a little bit, and doing your part."

Huddle For Hunger Rochester Food Drive presented by Wegmans.

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