Josh Allen: opens up about how fatherhood has changed him personally. After welcoming his daughter Harper with his wife Hailee Steinfeld earlier this year, the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills said that he has a different understanding of parents in crisis, especially those who face the pain, fear and uncertainty of a child in the hospital.Allen shared those emotions during his annual “117 Holes for Charity” event, a grueling single-day golf fundraiser that helps support the Patricia Allen Fund for Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. The event recently helped the fund reach a major milestone. $17 million in donations.
A speech from the heart
In a clip shared on his Like a Farmer Podcast, Allen became emotional while speaking to families and supporters at the golf event. “Having my daughter … I look at you parents differently,” he said, pausing as he spoke. “Because I can imagine myself in that situation now where I can’t.”That’s the part that seems to hurt him. Allen said he can now imagine what it’s like to hold a son or daughter and want to take away all the pain they’re feeling. For someone who had never experienced parenthood before, she said, the feeling changed her perspective completely.She also told the families that they also inspired her, and that the Patricia Allen Fund was created not only to support children, but also to help parents and families go through difficult times.
Why is the fund so important to him?
The Patricia Allen Fund has been one of the most meaningful parts of Allen’s life off the field. Developed with his input, it supports critical care teams at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, and the foundation says 100% of donations will go directly to care for children and families in Western New York.The fund traces back to a wave of fan support in 2020, when Bills fans began donating in $17 increments in honor of Allen’s jersey number and his late grandmother, Patricia Allen. Those donations quickly grew into a larger effort and eventually helped create the fund that now bears his name.For Allen, that connection is personal. He doesn’t support only charity because he plays in Buffalo. It’s tied to family, grief, community and a long-standing bond between the quarterback and the town.
FILE – Josh Allen, of the Buffalo Bills, and his fiancee, Hailee Steinfeld, pose on the red carpet at the NFL Honors award show before the Super Bowl 59 football game, Feb. 6, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
The toughest golf marathon around
The “117 Holes for Charity” event is not your average golf outing. It’s an all-day marathon where Allen and others will play 6.5 rounds from sunrise to dusk to raise money for the Patricia Allen Fund. The event has been held annually since 2021 at Crag Burn Golf Club in East Aurora, New York.This year’s outing helped push the fund to the $17 million milestone, making Allen’s emotional words even more powerful. He wasn’t just talking about fatherhood in the abstract. He spoke to a room full of people whose lives have been shaped by children’s health struggles and the support systems built around them.
Life is different now
Allen, who was named the NFL’s 2024 MVP and is heading into his ninth season with the Bills, recently told PEOPLE that becoming a father has also changed his day-to-day life. He says he loves being a father, but admits his sleep schedule isn’t what it used to be.That kind of honesty makes his comments on charity feel even more grounded. Fatherhood not only changed his thinking about families in need; it changed the rhythm of his own life, from sleep to preparation to priorities.He also said he’s excited for the Bills’ new $2 billion Highmark Stadium and hopes fans will love it. The team will begin preseason play on August 15 against the Carolina Panthers before opening the regular season on the road against the Houston Texans on September 13.
Why do fans connect with him?
Part of the reason Allen’s words are so powerful is that they feel so true. He didn’t give a polished public relations speech. He was visibly moved, speaking as a new father and someone who has spent years supporting families at Golisano Children’s Hospital.That combination of celebrity, sincerity and community loyalty is what makes his charity work unique. Fans have long donated to the cause in his honor, but now they’re also seeing a more personal side of the quarterback, one that was shaped by Harper’s arrival and a new understanding of what parents are going through.
More than just football
Allen is known for what he does on the field, but this moment is about something bigger than football. It’s about empathy, family and the way parenting can change even the strongest of people.The event itself may include 117 holes of golf, but the core message is simpler. when a child is sick, families need support, and those who have gone through such pain deserve to be seen. Allen said his own new experience as a father has made him understand that in a way he never could before.