BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Cincinnati native, Emily McGaha and Buffalo native, Erin Oliver met on a Facebook fan page, "Bills and Bengals, We Stand Together 3/85," which was created immediately after Hamlin's collapse during the January 2 Monday Night Football matchup between the two clubs at Paycor Stadium.
After the Hamlin's cardiac arrest, Bills and Bengals fans came together as the country anxiously waited for updates on his status.
After both teams won their respective Wild Card matchups, McGaha realized one of the two, who had already formed this unlikely bond via an unfortunate situation, would have to fight to eliminate each other from the playoffs.
"Wouldn't it be great if we tried to keep the camaraderie going between the fanbases and have all the fans donate money to heart health," McGaha posted on the fan page.
Of course, Bills' Mafia responded tenfold.
Oliver saw McGaha's post and was eager to help, so she began researching. She said she wanted to do something "more global" and raise awareness of heart health and the importance of CPR and how to get certified.
Oliver set up a fundraiser page and sent it to McGaha, who loved it. Oliver posted it on the Facebook fan page where the two originally met.
The fundraiser page took off amongst the Bills and Bengals fanbases, and as Oliver puts it, the last 72 hours have been a "whirlwind" while creating awareness about heart health.
So far, the fundraiser has raised nearly $900 as of Thursday night.
McGaha says the Bills and Bengals faithful have always had a bit of a connection - ever since Bills Mafia donated thousands of dollars to the then-Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton's foundation after a 2017 Bengals win helped launch the Bills into the postseason - for the first time in 17 years.
"This has just magnified it," McGaha said of the connection. "Made it bigger. And I hope we never lose it. I know we will never lose it."
You can donate to the Hearts 4 Hamlin & Higgins Fundraiser, here. You can also learn more about CPR training and find a class near you, here.
