Share ThisAcross its four-state health insurance footprint, Highmark Health and its Blue-branded affiliates have a decades-long commitment to building healthier communities. You can see the many ways that commitment now takes shape by visiting the web pages of the Highmark Bright Blue Futures charitable giving and community involvement program and checking out the program’s annual reports.
Over the years, strategic partnerships with beloved sports teams have played a vital role in community support. In this article, we’ll showcase the partnership with the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Bills Foundation, which has had a profound impact on western New York’s health and well-being, including fostering a sense of collective pride and belonging.
More than simply a football team, the Buffalo Bills have become a shining light that unites an entire region’s hope, support, and celebration each season. What the team does off the field has been as important in winning hearts as everything it accomplishes on the field. An established institution for good, they have risen to every occasion, responded to tragedy, supported the positive work of others, shared in the challenges, wins and joys of people in Buffalo and its surrounding communities, and become an integral part of the region’s strength and resilience.
The Bills’ community spirit has also inspired its fanbase — lovingly known as the Bills Mafia. These residents of the City of Good Neighbors (and beyond!) have stepped up again and again. Whether raising millions of dollars for Oishei Children’s Hospital in honor of quarterback Josh Allen’s grandmother, or leading the charge to support foundations and non-profits in honor of their competitors after tragedies, #BillsMafia is known nationally — and even globally — for MVP-level generosity and commitment matching that of the entire Bills organization.
Partnering with the Buffalo Bills to amplify positive community impact is a natural extension of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield’s deep roots and long history of community involvement. Since 1936, the company and its predecessors have helped millions lead healthier lives by providing broad access to health care. Beyond its core business mission, it also has a legacy of strong community support programs, sponsorships and partnerships.
For decades, the company has understood the unifying power of the Bills as a local institution and acted on opportunities to collaborate for the good of the community. In addition to being the official health plan of the Buffalo Bills, and naming rights partner for the team’s current and future Highmark Stadium, the organizations are closely aligned in a commitment to strengthening the community and improving physical and mental health, including addressing social determinants of health.
“Our organizations have so many great synergies,” says Mike Ball, vice president, Community Affairs, Highmark Western and Northeastern New York Inc. “We’re very aligned within our focus areas, and in how we interact and show up for the community. This partnership has always been a great pairing.”
You can see those “great synergies” in action in collaborations to combat food insecurity, address child hunger, and promote healthy eating as part of a "food as medicine" philosophy. One powerful collaboration occurred after the temporary closure of East Buffalo’s only grocery store, creating sudden food shortages. Leveraging existing relationships with local food pantries and other organizations, the Buffalo Bills Foundation and Highmark worked together to ensure uninterrupted access to healthy food. Coordinating volunteer efforts at various food distribution points, they delivered thousands of dollars’ worth of groceries, water, produce, and baby supplies within the first two weeks alone.
The launch of Buffalo’s Dress for Success mobile unit is another example of collaborative wins for the community. Funded by The Bills Foundation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and M&T Bank, the mobile unit overcomes transportation barriers that prevented many women from accessing Buffalo Dress for Success services, bringing professional clothing, job coaching, resume assistance, and confidence-building support directly to women throughout western New York.
The Bills and Highmark have also teamed up with other local and national organizations to enhance community health initiatives. For example, following safety Damar Hamlin's 2023 on-field cardiac event, they partnered with the American Heart Association to host large-scale community-based CPR training events. To further expand access, they provided free CPR training kits to all 37 Buffalo and Erie County Public Library branches. The combined effort has trained thousands of residents in life-saving techniques.
Bills players frequently participate in community projects, and in some cases even have their own organizations. A great example is Dion’s Dreamers, a nonprofit started by offensive lineman Dion Dawkins that provides mentorship to youth. Along with Dion’s Dreamers, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier, Trusted Gives, and Buffalo Olmsted Parks, Highmark hosted 716 CommUNITY Day, an event bringing fresh produce, health screenings, hot meals, and free bikes and helmets to families of Buffalo’s East Side.
“Our community has been made so much better because of the work and love that Highmark spreads to western New York,” Dawkins says. “I appreciate what Highmark does to support Dion’s Dreamers as we work towards leaving our home better than we found it.”
These initiatives are only a fraction of the partnership’s work. And beyond the specific programs, Michelle Roberts, executive director of the Buffalo Bills Foundation, says that the partnership’s success comes back to a shared culture and deep commitment to the community.
"Highmark has truly become part of our community family," she explains. "Whether we are walking together in the Buffalo Pride Parade, joining together for fitness events, or raising millions of dollars through our Give716 initiative, they contribute resources, personnel, and a sense of excitement."
As the site of every home game for the beloved Buffalo Bills, Highmark Stadium has long been a symbol of community pride and togetherness. To offer even more meaningful experiences to the community, Highmark and the Bills also leverage the stadium for events like mass health and fitness trainings and a Regional Food System Forum that brought together innovative leaders and grassroots organizations to talk about tackling food insecurity.
The most dynamic use may be Fitness on the Field. Since 2021, thousands of people of all ages and abilities have accessed free fitness classes and wellness resources through these events at Highmark Stadium. Local fitness leaders and organizations join to offer yoga, bootcamp, spinning and Zumba classes, and local gyms compete to raise the most money for their favorite nonprofit. In addition to the health benefits of these events, giving community members a chance to become active participants in a space viewed as sacred ground fosters a deeper sense of ownership and belonging.
In conjunction with United Concordia Dental and TeamSmile, Highmark and the Bills have also offered free dental clinics at Highmark Stadium. The clinics provide services to children, including a pilot program for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with additional support from the University of Buffalo.
“The Buffalo Bills partnership with Highmark is about making a real impact in the western New York community," Roberts says. “By leveraging this collaboration, we’re able to support and host events like the TeamSmile Dental Clinic, providing essential dental care to students who otherwise would not have access.”
For Bills fans, game day isn’t just about spectatorship — it’s an active community experience from start to finish. Thousands of fans make the pilgrimage to 1 Bills Drive in Orchard Park before each home game to enjoy tailgating and pre-game camaraderie.
Even after they enter the hallowed stadium, there are experiences beyond the game itself thanks to Highmark’s engaging stadium activations. For example, Highmark Igloo Village allows fans to watch the game in style and warmth — even during the coldest winter days. And the Highmark Breakaway Banner gives fans a chance to feel what it’s like to break on through to the flash and cheer of simulated cameras and paparazzi.
Such experiences might seem like pure entertainment, but Christian LoGrasso, director, Brand Strategy and Activations, Highmark Health, emphasizes how they contribute to both organizations’ goal of improving health and belonging.
“We’re really using our presence as a way to complement the Bills fan community experience and celebrate the Bills as a uniting, pride-based force in western New York,” LoGrasso says. “We know that sharing a common experience and sharing joy has a measurable effect on people’s ability to feel connected to one another, and that’s just one of the things we aim to do.”
Highmark’s Talegate Trailer is another innovative example of this shared experience. In 2024, fans were invited into a custom-made recording studio outside the stadium and asked to share their favorite memories of the current stadium. In the literal shadow of the new stadium’s construction, this acknowledgement of the stadium’s historical and emotional significance to the people of Buffalo brought generations of fans together in a powerful way.
Game days are also the setting for the Highmark Community Hero program. Highlighting influential nonprofit organizations in the Buffalo community at each regular season home game, recognized heroes receive a monetary donation — and the attention of tens of thousands of fans.
Hope Totes is one of these Highmark Community Heroes. The organization grew from its two founders’ experiences as mothers of children with complex medical conditions. Facing the overwhelming task of managing their sons’ health care, they developed a system of organized medical binders, comfort items, and essential toiletries, packaged in easily transportable "totes." According to co-founder Colleen Marchetta, they are now “more than 3,000 binders in." The practical solution evolved into a larger initiative, providing vital support to patients and caregivers facing similar challenges. Hope Totes now works directly with clinicians and hospitals to distribute essential care packages, easing the burden and improving the experiences of people navigating complex medical journeys. Their work focuses not only on practical organization but also on providing a sense of comfort and preparedness during stressful times.
Marchetta says that Highmark’s support has been invaluable, providing practical assistance and crucial validation. Recognition as a Highmark Community Hero helped boost the organization's profile and fundraising efforts.
"Highmark is giving us their stamp of approval," Marchetta explains. She adds that hands-on volunteer support, public endorsement, and the Bills’ professionally produced video showcasing their work have helped Hope Totes to share their story effectively, inspire others, and attract further funding and partnerships.
Many factors go into creating a strong team — but on game day, it still comes down to the players on the field. So, when we talk about the positive impact that Highmark and the Bills have on the community, the organization’s deeply engaged employees cannot be overlooked. Highmark’s 1,000+ Buffalo-based team members annually dedicate thousands of volunteer hours, including the many programs and activities involving the Bills. They built bikes at 716 CommUNITY Day, stepped up to support multiple 5.14 emergency relief efforts, marched alongside Bills staff in the Buffalo Pride Parade, contributed to player-supported charities like Dion’s Dreamers, joined veteran card-making events, shared memories at the Highmark TaleGate Trailer, and much more.
Highmark collaborations with the Bills inspire exceptional employee engagement, uniting them around their shared love for the team and community.
"Nothing motivates our workforce like the Buffalo Bills," says Jessica Cox, president of Highmark Western and Northeastern New York Inc. "From Coach McDermott speaking on mental health to Dion Dawkins discussing his nonprofit, our employees are extra energized to give back and connect when the Bills are involved."
From the engagement of individual employees all the way up to the largest stadium events and programs, the Highmark-Bills partnership is truly a model of how a leading employer and beloved sports team can team up to benefit their community and region. There is no doubt that shared values and a common love for Buffalo and western New York will continue to fuel the partnership’s success. And with the new stadium's construction and each organization’s continued growth and influence, the potential for future community wins is limitless.
Highmark Health and its subsidiaries and affiliates comprise a national blended health organization that employs more than 42,000 people and serves millions of Americans across the country.
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