ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — This weekend, Special Olympics New York is hosting its 9th annual "Buffalo Bowl" at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, a flag football tournament that celebrates inclusion and athletic achievement.
The two-day event aims to raise $250,000 to support Special Olympics athletes while providing them with an unforgettable experience playing on the same field as the Buffalo Bills.
For young athletes like Reed Heinrich, this tournament is his time to shine.
"Today, I'm playing flag football," Reed Heinrich said. "I'm here for Special Olympics to raise money."
His mother, Jeanne Heinrich, beamed with pride watching her son participate alongside teammates.
"He looks like every one of the guys. He's got his gloves on. He's like throw me the ball, like I'm going to go do a touchdown and he's just one of the guys. He, he's just like everybody else," Jeanne Heinrich said.
The event has drawn supporters of all ages, including some of the youngest fans in attendance.
"We're here to support our step-grandma Deana. She's a Buffalo Jill," said sisters Serafina and Giovanna, two of the youngest attendees. "We are here to cheer on the special needs kids."
This community-centered event showcases how Western New York comes together to support inclusive opportunities for all.
"It's a wonderful event. Everything Special Olympics does is amazing and everything they do for our kids, but being able to come here with all of these community companies and the first responders and to watch him embedded on the team playing with all of them and they're including him and high-fiving him. It's a special day," Jeanne Heinrich said.
Erica Raepple, Special Olympics New York Senior Director of Development, explained that the Buffalo Bowl has become a staple in the Western New York community and for its athletes.
"Just to see the passion that everybody has for our athletes and the acceptance too. Everybody comes up to us and they say, how can I help? Well, we have people that are becoming coaches. We have companies that are coming up and hiring our athletes because they see the value in Special Olympics and our athletes," Raepple said.
The free event brings teams from New York State to compete on the field, with some participants traveling from as far as Syracuse and Albany.
"Fierce competition is what you're going see here today and tomorrow. Tonight, we're featuring our first responders, so we have over 20 teams from all over New York State. We had some people coming from Syracuse and Albany just to play in this event, to play at Highmark Stadium," Raepple said.
The tournament continues Saturday with opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. and games beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m.
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