One of Oklahoma State's Own, Buffalo's Own, Helping Families Grieving from Shooting

STILLWATER – The people of Buffalo, New York are still reeling emotionally and will be grieving for a long time after 18-year-old Payton Gendron walked into the Tops Friendly Supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in the Kingsley section of Buffalo and opened fire with an automatic weapon and killed 10 people and wounded another three in a hate-fueled shooting. Eleven of the shooting victims were black. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills turned 56-years-old on Monday, May 16, but in the aftermath of the tragedy in his town he was thinking about anything but his birthday.

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Thurman Thomas on the day his number was retired at Oklahoma State.

Thomas is hero in Stillwater, Oklahoma too. He starred at running back for Oklahoma State. Thomas is the Cowboys all-time leading rusher and the leading rusher in Big Eight history. He is a College Football Hall of Fame enshrine and is the first ever player to have his number officially retired in the Boone Pickens Stadium Ring of Honor.

Thomas’ coach at Oklahoma State Pat Jones, a good friend called me Monday morning and told me about Thurman’s plans and what he was doing. This is the website where he is doing it.

https://give.thurmanthomas.com/

Here is Thomas’ message:

For the Love of Buffalo.

Help us help our grieving community.  Yesterday Buffalo and Western New York was shaken to it’s core at the horror of what occurred in our city. The pain and grief is hard to comprehend and it has us asking, “what can we do right now?

”The Thurman Thomas Family Foundation is committing to donating $10,000 to efforts that will directly impact the families of the victims and the surrounding community.  We will be working with community leaders and advocates for the families so that you can be certain that every dollar we raise starting today with our initial $10,000 donation and throughout this campaign will go to this effort.

Now is the time to love each other and be the best neighbors possible.

Thank you,
The Thurman Thomas Family Foundation

As of Monday, May 16 midway in the afternoon the site had raised $69,759.46. You can help by either going to the website and donating or you can mail a donation to:

Thurman Thomas Family Foundation

500 Seneca Road, Apt. 4-2

Buffalo, N.Y. 14204-1990