We know him only because he’s the owner of the Buffalo Bills, but Ralph Wilson has been pretty generous with his money over the years making donations to charitable causes we seldom hear about.  Just last fall he and his wife made a $1-million donation to the DeGraff Hospital Adult Day Care Center in North Tonawanda.

Yesterday the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Wilson made a $2.5-million dollar donation to support the museum’s expansion and renovation project.  The gift will result in construction of a new 10-thousand square football research and preservation center. 

To show their graditude the Hall of Fame trustees have decided to name the center in his honor – “The Ralph Wilson, Jr. Pro Football Hall of Fame Research and Preservation Center”.  Groundbreaking for the center will take place on Friday in Canton, Ohio.

Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan says the new center will not only provide the Hall with some much needed space but will also have a state of the art climate controlled enviornment to preserve so many of the
irreplaceable items on display.

It’s been about 15 years since I’ve been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  It’s about a 4-hour drive from Buffalo.  It’s an absolute must for any fan of pro football, but make sure you give yourself enough time.  You could easily spend the entire day there.  There’s so much to see and do.

Aaron James visited the Hall of Fame just a couple of weeks ago and chronicled his experience with a great video.  Check out his post.  Aaron James' visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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