ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Bills Mafia is known for many things — generosity and kindness being some of them.
During Monday’s matchup against the Steelers, one Pennsylvania family got to witness that firsthand. Beth Pellegrino and her two sons, Anthony and Luca, made the drive from Warren, PA to cheer on their favorite football team.
Beth and the boys packed up their car, and after the weather delay pushing the game back a day, they made it to the Queen City — but not without a warning about going into enemy territory first.
“I had gotten some feedback to be careful, so I was definitely going into it thinking I need to be on my toes a little bit. But honestly, the three of us adventure all the time,” Pellegrino said.
They were prepared, especially when it came to dealing with the snow and low temperatures.
“The kindness honestly just started off the bat, because the people around us were going, ‘Do you need hand warmers? Do you need extra socks? Are your kids warm enough?'” Pellegrino said.
Despite the cold, Pellegrino said her family received nothing but warmth from Bills fans around them. Ice had built up on the stairs and aisle, causing difficult walking conditions, and Pellegrino said fans helped Anthony and Luca get to the seats safely, even picking them up step by step.
After the game, she took to Facebook, sharing her experience, writing: “As visitors and fans of the opposing team, we expected some teasing, but your actions demonstrated the true spirit of sportsmanship.” The post quickly went viral, being shared among Bills Mafia and beyond.
“I’m trying to collect as many pictures and things, even of this whole post going viral to me is just unreal, so that [Anthony and Luca] can look back on all of it and remember the kindness we were shown too,” Pellegrino said. “Not just the game, but those life lessons we picked up on during our adventure.”