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Dion Dawkins

BUFFALO BILLS

EXCELLENCE ON THE FIELD

Dion Dawkins has been a cornerstone player for the Buffalo Bills since being drafted in 2017. One of the longest-tenured Bills players, Dawkins has encompassed the spirit of the city as the starting left tackle for 114 out of 120 games he's played over the past eight years. Besides being one of the league's most elite offensive tackles and protecting his quarterback's blindside,

Dawkins has also recorded two career touchdowns, becoming only the second Bills offensive lineman to catch two touchdowns in his career. In 2023, he finished with the fourth-highest pass block win rate and held a 6.9% pressure rate, the third lowest among left tackles. Dion's success with the Bills has not gone unnoticed, as he has been named a Pro-Bowler three times, becoming the first Bills offensive lineman to be a three-time Pro Bowl selection since 2003.

POSITIVE CHARACTER & A LIFESTYLE OF GIVING BACK

Dion is a role model to his community by consistently showing up when and where he's needed most, whether out in the community, at home with his family, or in the locker room with his teammates. His vibrant presence in the communities of Western New York has been felt season after season. Dion's dedication to giving back and making positive change is tightly tied to his personal experiences. His passion for mentorship stems from his brother's incarceration and his other brother's career as a prison guard, allowing him to see and advocate for both sides of the spectrum. Dion's Dreamers was born from knowing the

importance of a positive mentor in a child's life, as his brother's children are growing up away from their father – but Dion works to be a positive role model for them to give them a healthy, happy childhood. Dion leads his life with the understanding that a person will never forget how you made them feel. He uses his boundless energy to show how deeply he cares for Western New York and the greater good, always willing to pass along a smile.

DEDICATION & COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY EFFORTS

THIS YEAR

This past year, Dion Dawkins has demonstrated a strong commitment to community efforts in Western New York through a variety of impactful initiatives and charitable work through his Dion's Dreamers foundation. Dion's 4th annual 716 CommUNITY Day was hosted in July to celebrate the Buffalo community at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on Buffalo's Eastside. This event welcomed families and children for a day full of fun, activities, and many necessary resources needed in underserved areas. Over 1,000 people received free hot meals, fresh produce, free haircuts, clothing, hygiene products, and 50 bikes and helmets for kids. Dozens of non- profits and community groups onsite provided resources, information, and assistance to members of the Buffalo community who needed it the most. Before the season started, Dion collected two pallets of school supplies through a school supply drive to be donated to The Teacher's Desk, an organization that provides Western New York teachers with free supplies for their classrooms. He also donated 300 backpacks and school supplies to different organizations in Buffalo and Miami, where he resides in the offseason. Dion's in-season community work started with participating in CPR Training of student-athletes at Niagara Falls High School in association with the Buffalo Bills Foundation, Highmark, and the American Heart Association. Additionally, he supported the Bills Foundation's Huddle for Hunger initiative by donating a truckload of his Shnow Crunch cereal to help end hunger in Western New York. Dion donated 2,000 boxes of cereal to Cheektowaga Central School District and the local Boys & Girls Clubs, visiting an elementary school in the district to surprise all the students with the cereal. He has also participated in a variety of Play60 events and helped promote one of the biggest winter coat drives in Western New York.Most recently, Dion joined Erie County Juvenile Court's Youth Empowerment Program, celebrating local youth who have completed programs through the juvenile justice system. Finally, he held his second annual Talent Show, a fundraiser for Dion's Dreamers that showcases Buffalo's best talent to benefit Dion's Dreamers. In addition to these events, Dion has donated $55,000 to other organizations around Western New York this year to help them make a bigger impact with their work in the community.

IN YEARS PAST

Since his rookie season in 2017, Dion has prioritized community involvement and efforts with the Buffalo Bills and NFL initiatives. During his rookie season, Dion took part in several community events with the Bills' Rookie Club and continued his work into those early seasons, then founding his nonprofit, Dion's Dreamers, in 2020. Dion's efforts in 2021 included fresh produce giveaways in Buffalo, his hometown of Rahway, New Jersey, and his college market of Philadelphia. He also spearheaded a season-long pledge campaign, Touchdown for Dreamers, in which he donated $100 for every Bills touchdown to Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters throughout Western New York to purchase sports and art supplies for kids who could not otherwise afford them. Since the Tops mass shooting in May 2022, Dion's Dreamers Foundation has shifted its focus to providing resources and opportunities for Buffalo's Eastside community. Dion hosted a Cornhole Tournament and Kickball Tournament to benefit the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund and the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund, donating $20,000. He has hosted a 716 Day event every year since 2021, a big block party to celebrate all things Buffalo. Although it began as a response to the Tops shooting, 716 Day has shifted to an opportunity for the East Buffalo community to come together after a stressful year while receiving educational materials from local nonprofits and government agencies, hot meals, produce, family fun activities, and more. Serving over 1,000 people, some attendees noted this event was the first time they had a hot meal in two months and some, the first time they ate in two days, while others mentioned this was the first time they felt safe in public since the shooting. Dawkins has donated over 3,000 backpacks to various organizations around WNY. In October of 2023, Dion visited East Community High School in Buffalo to speak with students, learn about food insecurity programs in Buffalo schools, and make a $10,000 donation to FeedMore WNY's School Food Pantry Program to help fight food insecurity in schools. Also, in 2023, Dion formed a strong connection with Buffalo Public School #131, a last-chance high school, visiting monthly and acting as a positive role model to the students. At the end of the year, Dawkins was able to surprise the principal with a $5,000 grant to purchase much-needed supplies for the school, like an AC unit and hygiene products for the students.