Courtesy of BuffaloBills.com

The Buffalo Bills and the Town of Hamburg Recreation Department partnered to host football clinics for youngsters with Asperger Syndrome/NVLD, High functioning Autism and physical/mental disabilities in the Buffalo Bills Field House once a week throughout November. The clinics provided the participants with a fun way to gain general knowledge of the game of football through a series of skill development stations.

During the final day of the last clinic, certificates were presented to the participants by personable Bills linebacker Chris Draft, #52, and Billy Buffalo, team mascot. Draft also played with the kids and taught them some pass catching and pass defense skills. The kids were thrilled to meet Chris and also received gift bags which included Buffalo Bills posters, yearbooks, and player action photos.

In addition to Draft’s linebacker duties with the Bills, he is proactively involved in numerous other community endeavors through his Chris Draft Family Foundation. Draft’s foundation focuses on seven primary initiatives with overarching themes that stress the importance of education, healthy lifestyles, character development, personal responsibility, self-discipline and physical fitness.

As an active NFL player living with asthma, Chris works with national and local organizations to increase awareness of the disease with a range of PSAs and special-themed events using his personal experiences to inspire others. A health and fitness advocate, Chris designed his Draft Day® fitness camp that debuted in 2006 at the NFL YET/Atlanta aimed toward providing youth and parents with tools to make choices to live healthier lifestyles. The importance of family literacy and character education, with a focus on personal responsibility and self-discipline fuel the Foundation’s major initiatives, all centered on uplifting communities and empowering families to live healthy lifestyles.