Hundreds of fans showed up at the Highmark Stadium in response to calls from the Buffalo Bills for snow shovellers. The Buffalo Bills needed all the help they could get as snow deposits reached worrying levels before their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Buffalo Bills were to square off against the formidable Steelers team on Sunday in one of the high-profile matches of the season. It was a wild card match that no Bills Mafia would want to miss. But weather conditions threatened to be a major hindrance.
As the game day drew near and Orchard Park’s Highmark Stadium was covered in 3 feet of snow, game organizers and hosts knew they had to act fast. After some crucial deliberations, they decided to put out a call to their fans for help.
Organizers asked helpers to come along in warm clothing and, if possible, bring along their own shovels. There were, however, shovels available for helpers who came without one.
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Each shoveller was entitled to $20 per hour, free meals, breaks in a “comfortable warm area,” and a good time. Helpers had a fun experience as they shoveled scoop after scoop of snow from the facility.
Eventually, the state government had to shift the game to 4:30 p.m. on Monday due to unfavorable weather conditions. The Bills shared videos showing the weather situation of the stadium.
“Our snow removal crews are working relentlessly to remove as much snow as possible before kickoff,” Bills assured their fans. “A reminder to all fans attending today’s game: please dress appropriately for the cold weather, including waterproof boots and pants.”
Organizers were expecting up to 19 inches of snow, according to the predictions from the National Weather Service. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the game’s postponement and placed a full travel ban on Erie County.
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Sharing a video on Sunday of the weather situation in the area, Gov. Hochul explained why the postponement was the right decision. “Looks like a pretty good day to not have a football game,” she wrote in the caption.
The governor also granted a waiver for shovellers to travel to the stadium during curfew time. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz disclosed this in response to worries about the shoveler’s freedom to move to the stadium.
As of Sunday, crews were still busy across the state trying to clear out roads and restore power to the most affected areas. Shovelers at the stadium will continue to work even until the start of the game.
The New York State Department of Transportation has reported that it cost “a lot of resources and teamwork” to clear the highways around the stadium.
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Andy Major, the Bill’s vice president of operations, assured fans that most of the parking lot would be snow-free and available for use. He, however, pleaded with fans to cope with a new seating arrangement that the club will put in place.
“The biggest thing is the seating area,” Major told the press. While stating that the Bills will do the best they can to provide fans with the best possible seating conditions, he demanded some level of understanding from them. “People will be literally walking into some snow and sitting on some snow on their seats,” he said.
But that shouldn’t be a big deal for Bill Mafians, who love the beautiful game and want to see their favorite team win.
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