BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Ten Buffalo high school graduates received a surprise visit from the Buffalo Bills’ Dion Dawkins, as he gifted each of the incoming college freshmen with $1,000 scholarships.
Those ten students had already received a $1,000 scholarship from the Black Achievers, but when Dawkins found out, he decided to double the reward.
WATCH: ‘I’ll match it’: Buffalo Bills’ Dion Dawkins gifts $10k in college scholarships
“I didn’t know what that number was; I just said I’ll match it. I matched whatever it is, so you guys can have a little bit more, so it can make y’all smile. You can do whatever you want with it. You can have fun with it,” Dawkins said.
After Dion, another donor surprised the kids with an additional donation, bringing the kids’ scholarship totals up to $2,500.
“Just looking at their faces, priceless,” President/CEO of Black Achievers Inc. Herbert Bellamy Jr. said. “When we can get a positive person, a positive role model, who is inspiring people to keep moving and keep dreaming, It’s just incredible.”
“Football is just a small part of life, and these kids are everything. They’ve got parents, people that are going to depend on them,” Dawkins said. “When it comes to the inner city, getting into the city that we actually live in, that’s what really means something. I choose to do so, and I will continue.”
Makayla Mathews plans on using her scholarship on a speech therapy degree from the University at Buffalo. Her twin sister Iyanna is heading to the University at Albany to use her scholarship to study biology and public health.
“It’s very nice for black kids that look like me to receive things like these and these opportunities,” Makayla said.
“It helps with the financial burden; my parents have three kids in college,” Iyanna said. “When it happened, it was shocking.”
A financial burden now a little bit lighter, thanks to a friendly, yet familiar face.
