- Meet Bills Backers Lehigh Valley, a group of about 400 Bills fans in the Lehigh Valley
- Among its members are the mother and stepfather of Andre Reed, famed Bills wide receiver
- Each year, the group donates to charities around the Valley
EMMAUS, Pa. — The back room of Volpe’s Sports Bar filled with a collective sigh of relief during the final seconds of the Bills-Buccaneers game on Thursday night.
As the clock ran out, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield launched a "Hail Mary" pass downfield. The ball, lifeless, bounced into the end zone. Wide receiver Mike Evans didn't even see it.
The final score: Bills 24, Buccaneers 18. The resilient Buffalo football team, plagued with injuries and offensive struggles, bounced back to 5-3.
But it you looked around the back room at the small local bar, you wouldn't have seen midnight green or spotlight white, but shades of blue and red.
Instead of the expected “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!” chant, you’d hear a clever lyrical parody of The Isley Brothers’ song “Shout!” featuring “Let’s go Buffalo!” and “The Bills make me wanna shout!”
Even a cardboard cutout of Bills quarterback Josh Allen stood in the corner.
Confusing? Hardly. Volpe's is the home turf of Bills Backers Lehigh Valley, a group of proud and passionate Buffalo Bills fans local to the area.
Shopping for Bills fans
Karen Richardson said she began Bills Backers Lehigh Valley in the early 2000s in the most unusual of ways — following people around in the grocery store.
“I would go up to anyone I saw with a Bills hat or sweatshirt and tell them who I am and this group I want to start."Bills Backers Lehigh Valley founder Karen Richardson
“I would go up to anyone I saw with a Bills hat or sweatshirt and tell them who I am and this group I want to start,” Richardson said.
A native of Silver Creek, New York, Richardson was new to the area and seeking the same football camaraderie and passion that she got in western New York. (Minus the table-jumping.)
It was soon after the era of Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (though the outcomes were not favorable). So, more Buffalo Bills fans far and wide began proudly sporting their fan gear out in public.
However, it also was in an era before cell phones and social media, so word about fan gatherings could only be spread via word-of-mouth and on the Internet, which was still in its infancy.
Still, Richardson was determined. And the fruits of her labor paid off.
'Giving by nature'
Bills Backers Lehigh Valley’s story began at the Willow Street Pub in Coplay.
Richardson’s friend Michelle Ritter owned the bar and was happy to accommodate the good-natured (and well-paying) company that the group, about 10 strong at the time, brought in.
Because of the group’s ever-growing size, like a herd of buffalo it migrated from bar to bar — first to Willow Street, then to Starters in Lower Saucon Township (now closed), then Braveheart in Hellertown and finally to Volpe's.
As of today, its Facebook group lists about 400 members from all over the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
Soon joining its ranks were Joyce Reed-Ebling and John Ebling, the mother and stepfather of Andre Reed, an Allentown native and Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Bills from 1985-99.
“Bills fans are generous and giving by nature. Giving them the option to donate only seemed like a logical next step.”Andre Reed stepfather John Ebling
The Reeds are proud founders of the Andre Reed Foundation, which helps “underprivileged children reach their full potential” through donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown.
In addition to their kind spirits and touching stories about their beloved son, the Eblings have brought charity to Bills Backers Lehigh Valley.
Each year, they auction off jerseys, helmets and other Bills memorabilia in exchange for donations to the Boys and Girls Club. Last year, they raised over $3,600.
“Bills fans are generous and giving by nature,” John Ebling said. “Giving them the option to donate only seemed like a logical next step.”
Braving the elements
Even Reed has visited Volpe’s a few times, including during an infamous overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings last year.
According to accounts, Reed's 6-foot-2 stature was intimidating but his manner was lovely; he was more than happy to pose for pictures, sign autographs and chat with the bar-goers.
“We’re from Buffalo. We’re used to it.”Russ Truscott, Bills Backers of the Lehigh Valley president
When Bills quarterback Josh Allen fumbled the ball at the goal line with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, Reed joined the Volpe’s crowd in a collective frustrated sigh.
Volpe’s has been Bills Backers’ home since winter 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when eating indoors was not allowed and gathering in groups was frowned upon.
Russ Truscott, Buffalo native and current president of Bills Backers Lehigh Valley, took to Google and researched bars that might have been able to accommodate outdoor seating for a large number of people.
And there was Volpe’s, owned by Allentown resident Fran Volpe and his family. Before Volpe knew it, there was a crowd of Buffalonians in his parking lot, crowded around TVs and gas heating lamps.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Volpe said with a chuckle. “We did our best to take care of them because they were giving us business during a really difficult time. At times, they were the only ones at Volpe’s.”
Regarding the freezing temperatures when the group sat outside, Truscott insisted, “We’re from Buffalo. We’re used to it.”
Camaraderie and community
As the 2023-24 NFL season stretches on, Truscott, the Reeds and the rest of the Bills Backers family said they look forward to another hopefully successful season.
“It’s truly a group of passionate, fun-loving, hard-working people that I look forward to spending time with each week."Russ Truscott, president of Bills Backers Lehigh Valley,
To Truscott, the idea of Bills Backers is more than how well the team does.
“We can complain about interceptions and [Head Coach Sean] McDermott’s coaching decisions all we want,” he said.
It’s the camaraderie and community that is found within a group of people who are far from home.
“It’s truly a group of passionate, fun-loving, hard-working people that I look forward to spending time with each week,” he said.
