BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- In his five seasons with the Bills, fullback Reggie Gilliam has found numerous ways to get involved with the Western New York community and beyond.
“I think it’s really important for us to stay active in the community, so that people in the community can feel like they have a relationship with us,” said Gilliam. “You know, we’re not just the guys that you see on TV every Sunday or Monday or whatever it may be, we’re real people.”
Like so many players, Gilliam’s community involvement was sparked by another player.
“What started it was a couple years ago we had Harrison Phillips, he did his Playmakers camp and that got me involved,” said Gilliam.
From there, he joined in on a back-to-school shopping trip.
“That just made their faces light up so much,” said Gilliam. “That’s what really got me into that, because I just love seeing how excited they would get over something so simple. So that’s what made me think, 'okay, if something that simple can make them so happy, how about if I actually get out on the field and start doing stuff with them?'”
Which led him to create a football camp at his alma mater, Westland High School in Ohio.
“They come out and they get to see me, kid that grew up right in their same community, doing that and made it all the way, and it just gives them the hope that they can do it too,” said Gilliam.
Gilliam has also volunteered his time with the Bills’ Crucial Catch initiative, Special Olympics, and the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative, where he once again gets to make a difference in kids’ lives.
“So the big thing that I do with them is at Christmas I’ll adopt a family, give them whatever they want just to see their faces light up,” said Gilliam. “Like I said, makes it all worth it. You know, such an act of kindness. It can be so simple to make someone’s whole day, year, whatever it may be.”
Scott Patterson is a co-anchor on News 4 Wake Up! He joined the News 4 team in 2024. See more of his work here.
