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'Ultimate Example Of Sportsmanship': Buffalo Bills Fans Donate To Lamar Jackson's Favorite Charity After Ravens QB's Concussion

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, with quarterback Lamar Jackson leaving the game with a concussion.

It happened after a tackle near the end zone after a bad snap on the final play of the third quarter. But what happened after the game is getting a lot of attention online-- in the name of giving.

Bills fans started donating to one of Jackson's favorite charities, Blessings in a Backpack.

The non-profit works to provide food to elementary school children across America. Anthony Dolce is a big fan of the Bills, and he sent a tweet saying Lamar Jackson is one of his favorite players in the league.

He said he hopes Jackson recovers soon, and made a donation.

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Another fan wished Jackson well and called on others to donate too and show some love in Jackson's honor.

As of Monday evening, the donations continued to roll in. The organization tweeted 13,600 donors had given $360,000 in 36 hours.

Those donations came in from all over the world.

At first, Nikki Grizzle said the Kentucky-based nonprofit, which works to ensure children don't go hungry on the weekends by sending them home from school with a backpack full of food, didn't know what prompted the spike in donations.

"We don't have an NFL team," she said. "We couldn't understand why we were getting Bills donations, and then my husband said they are known for this."

The money will help feed hungry children, which Grizzle said is priceless.

"It is the ultimate example of sportsmanship," she said. "They're competing against each other on the field, but off the field, they wanted to make a difference."

Jackson tweeted Monday he appreciates the Bills Mafia, and fans said it's a win.

"It kind of makes them look like the bigger team even though they already won," Ravens fan Jake Spivey said.

"I think it's awesome," Ravens fan Britney Lukowski said. "I think it's a great display of sportsmanship and unity."

Ravens fans, meanwhile, have responded by donating to a local fund in Buffalo that honors quarterback Josh Allen's grandmother.

This story was first published on January 17, 2021.

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