Bill Knight Wheelchair Van Appeal

Thank you to all of the people who supported our GoFundMe page for Bill Knight.  Amazingly, we have surpassed our goal with donations of over $70,000!  We have now ended our campaign and the page is closed.  We have taken delivery of a van from West Herr Chrysler Dodge Ram in Orchard Park, and it now resides in Bill’s garage in Jamestown.  Due to the tremendous success of this fundraiser, additional funds remain to help with his healthcare expenses and overall well-being!  

 Words fail to express the depth of our gratitude to all of the supporters of this effort.  As a group of friends, we wrestled with the daunting task of finding a way to help out Bill in his time of great need.  Our concerns were met by a monumental outpouring of kindness, generosity, and love for this inspirational man.  On behalf of Bill, we’d like to express our deep appreciation to all of you for your financial gifts and kind words throughout the past four weeks.  How wonderful it was to hear from students from the past, spanning over 50 years of his private lesson studio;  to read the testimonials from students and parents regarding his influence on their lives; and to receive donations from perfect strangers from our great community and beyond.  

 We would especially like to thank our local media providers - Dennis Webster at WJTN radio, Katrina Fuller at the Post-Journal newspaper, and both Brynne Deppas and Melissa Holmes of WGRZ television in Buffalo. The superior coverage provided by the media allowed us to spread the word on a grand scale, directly impacting our ability to achieve and surpass our goal.  

 We must also recognize the substantial support of West Herr Auto Group in Buffalo, New York.  Their contribution of $30,000 was an amazing shock for us, for which we are eternally grateful.  It was the resolute determination of CEO Scott Bieler and his staff, however, that really showed us the extent of their generosity.  West Herr found a van, ran it through their sales and service department, and contracted with a local mobility specialist to ensure that the vehicle met all of Bill’s needs.  Their kind manner throughout each of our personal interactions with the West Herr staff heightened this exciting experience for Bill.   

 Thank you again for joining us in this endeavor, and God Bless You!