DALLAS — Ezra “Pancho Billa” Castro was a diehard Buffalo Bills fan, despite growing up in El Paso and living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
His outfit, complete with a custom luchador mask and sombrero, was unmistakable.
The father of two young children became one of the NFL’s most recognizable fans, due in part to his battle with cancer. Bills fans and the NFL world rallied around him.
While undergoing chemotherapy, Pancho announced a Bills draft pick at the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Almost one year later, on May 14, 2019 — Ezra “Pancho Billa” Castro passed away at the age of 39. He was two weeks shy of his 40th birthday.
Days before his death, Pancho spoke with WFAA sports reporter Jonah Javad. The two became friends after Jonah moved to D-FW after more than five years living in Buffalo.
Javad asked Pancho how he wanted to be remembered and what he wanted his legacy to be.
Pancho expressed his passion and love for children and education. He was adamant that he did not want flowers at his funeral — he wanted backpacks for kids.
His wish was granted.
Thanks to many generous donations, more than $100,000 was raised in his honor within three weeks after his death.
The more than $100,000 in donations equated to more than 10,000 backpacks with school supplies, thanks to the nonprofit The Teacher’s Desk.
The fundraiser was called #PANCHOSPACK.
The backpacks were distributed in Western New York, El Paso (Pancho’s hometown) and the Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch school district in DFW.
On Wednesday, Farmer’s Branch Elementary held a school assembly for the holiday music choir. After the concert, Pancho’s longtime girlfriend Veronica, two of his three brothers (Jaime and Eli) and Javad revealed a surprise to the students: a backpack for each of them...including Pancho’s son Gino.
The backpacks are filled with school and home essentials including notebooks, binders, folders, hand sanitizer, toothbrush/toothpaste and a water bottle, as well as a custom-designed tag with an animated Pancho Billa.
In late August, Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch ISD distributed more than 200 #PANCHOPACKS at its back-to-school carnival. The remaining backpacks will be stored at CFB Giving House and distributed as needed.
The Castro family hopes to make this an annual backpack drive for children. The fundraiser for next year will likely begin in the early spring of 2020.
