One Central New York Native’s Kindness Earned Him Super Bowl Tickets

Sometimes the biggest acts of kindness start with something incredibly small. For A.J. Owen, a Central New York native now living in the Pittsburgh area, it started with a conversation around his kitchen table.

When Owen heard that SNAP benefits were about to be reduced, he couldn’t stop thinking about what that meant for families who were already struggling. So he did what a lot of parents try to do when the world feels heavy. He turned it into a lesson for his kids.

A Lesson That Started It All

“I explained to my kids that people aren’t going to be able to eat,” Owen told CNY Central, “and it boiled down to, ‘Let’s buy food.’”

That simple idea turned into something powerful. On October 26th, just days before the benefit cuts were set to kick in, the Owen family spent $150 at Aldi, put the groceries outside their home, and hung up a handwritten sign that read: "Free food." They didn’t know what would happen next. But it didn’t take long.

The Free Food Sign That Changed Everything

By the end of the first day, nearly 70 percent of the food was gone. Neighbors shared the story. Word spread. And then something unbelievable showed up in Owen’s mailbox, an envelope labeled “food pantry” with $3,000 in cash inside. To this day, he has no idea who left it.

A Mystery Donation and Viral Moment

Owen had been posting updates on TikTok, and when he shared that moment, the video exploded. It eventually reached more than 20 million people. Donations followed, and the backyard pantry kept growing. Then came another surprise.

An Unexpected Super Bowl Surprise

A Pittsburgh Steelers player, defensive end Yahya Black, who had already stopped by to donate food, invited Owen to the stadium. Owen thought he was just picking up a jersey. He was, but Black also handed him something else: tickets to the Super Bowl. Owen told CNY Central the moment left him completely stunned.

“It’s funny because this man is 6-foot-6, 330-plus pounds, and I was on my tiptoes trying to give him a hug,” he said. “It was just an incredible moment.”

For Owen, though, none of this has ever been about attention. It’s about people.

“We did this to help feed people,” he said. “We did this to teach my kids that kindness is contagious.”

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He says that lesson came straight from his upbringing in Central New York, where his mom used to take him as a child to help serve meals to those in need. Now, that same kindness is coming full circle. Owen says he’ll be taking his brother, a Buffalo Bills fan, with him to the Super Bowl.

You can make an online donation to Owen's food drive here.