2005 Moulds Show and Toy Town-revisited

This look-back post features 2 appearances, with Autumn at the Eric Moulds Show and with Kelly and Kaitlin at the Toy Town opening of the Jills exhibit.

Autumn with Eric Moulds

In 2005, Bills WR Eric Moulds had a tv show talking about the previous game as well as looking forward to the upcoming game. He and co-host Jim Brinson taped it at various locations around Western NY on Monday nights and the public was invited to come and watch. As a part of the show, a Buffalo Jill or two were on hand to help with the fans and the promotions. For me, making it to one of those tapings was usually difficult with my work schedule but the final taping worked out for me and a friend to attend. For this showing, rookie redhead Autumn was on hand on her own. After she showed up, we talked a bit and she told me that when she got asked to do the show, she had asked Rachael to join her but Rachael had left her uniform locked up at school over winter break. Brinson then visited with fans for a few minutes before the show began. After the taping, which included an appearance by Buffalo heavyweight boxer Baby Joe Mesi, Eric and Baby Joe signed autographs and took pictures with the fans. Both were more than happy to pose for photos with Autumn. Brinson was ecstatic himself. See all the pics at https://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/11623

Baby Joe Mesi with Autumn

Kaitlin and Kelly with some of the Jills display

The second part of this post looks back at the opening of the temporary Buffalo Jills exhibit at the Toy Town museum in East Aurora. Fisher-Price, one of the largest toy makers in the world, is based in East Aurora, NY and up until a few years ago, had a museum dedicated to celebrating Western NY's toy-making heritage. (The museum is currently closed and seeking a new home). In the fall of 2005, they opened a temporary exhibit dedicated to the Buffalo Bills. To add to it, on January 14, 2006, they opened a temporary Buffalo Jills exhibit. For the exhibit, Buffalo Jills and Buffalo Bills cheerleaders (they weren't known as the Jills until 1967) from throughout the years offered up some of their own memorabilia to display in the form of uniforms, pom-poms, photographs, calendars, and several other items. As part of the opening of the exhibit, then current-Jills Kaitlin M and Kelly were on hand to help out and pose for photos.

Kelly and Kaitlin with some of the original Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders

While there, we met some ladies who cheered in the 1st Buffalo Bills season as Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders and heard some stories from a lady who cheered in 1977. She told us how the Jills had gotten national attention back then and were only overshadowed by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The girls on the squad had wanted to actually compete against then in a cheering competition but their director nixed the idea. I wonder what she thought when the Jills beat the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in an online poll to be named top squad in the NFL in 2011.

1989 calendar

I got some time with Kelly and Kaitlin and we did some searching through the memorabilia that was brought by the Jills alumni and even found a calendar from the late 80s. I also told Kaitlin that I'd be at tryouts that spring, a bit of news that excited her and she even jokingly asked me to help her out with making the squad. How, I won't say as that's privileged info but this event, though small, was one of the funner events I've had the privilege of covering. I got to hear some stories, see some great memorabilia, and spend some time with 2 of my favorite all-time Jills in Kelly and Kaitlin. Besides their obvious beauty, they were about as fun to spend time with as anyone. See all the pics at https://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/11608

From the Bandettes comes a photo from the season finale against the Rochester Knighthawks. One of the toughest things about what I do is when the end of the season comes and I don't get to snap beautiful photos of these hard-working young ladies for several more months, assuming they come back to the squad. Shown in this photo is stunning rookie redhead Danielle.

Danielle

Make sure to visit the main page of the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog and donate to Jenn, Tammy, Julie, Kim, or Maria. All 5 of these ladies are raising money for the Alzheimer's Association and getting set to play in the 5th Annual Blondes Vs Brunettes game on September 14th. Don't forget that the BvB Kickoff Party is August 23rd and the Bachelorette Auction includes one package put together by Jills alum Desiree (2005).