Meet Therese Forton-barnes

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Therese Forton-barnes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Therese, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

I have always been one to give back to my community, school, and others in need. My parents taught us at a young age to volunteer and get involved with organizations that need support.

I now have a business that gives back to refugee women who have settled in Buffalo, NY. They are master sewists and make our goods and support them financially. I chose this route to bring them into our community and us into theirs.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Therese Forton-Barnes Background:
– Born and raised in Buffalo, NY
– Grand Poobah of the Water Buffalo Club 716
– Started a ‘Go Birds’ hat for Philadelphia Eagles fans and donates to the Philadelphia zoo eagle exhibit
– She started the Water Buffalo Club in 2021 and has over 5000 members, including many notable people and Buffalo Bills players.
– She grew up a Bills fan when her Dad took her to Bills games at the Rockpile. She never lost the love to support her team, away at Ithaca College or in Buffalo.
– She always wants to give back to her community and gets involved to better her city.
– After college, she had an opportunity to move to NYC, but she wanted to stay in Buffalo to be near her parents and start her career in her beloved city, Buffalo, NY.
– She has volunteered or has been involved with numerous organizations. Here are a few:
o Past President for five years of The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. (Also, first and only female President) She loves to support the rich Sports History of Buffalo.
o Jim Kelly’s Foundation – Kelly For Kids – She has been involved with Jim’s charity for over 37 years on many different levels. She also planned his retirement party, Super Bowl Parties, and wedding.
o She helped Ryan Miller(x Buffalo Sabres) start his Foundation and organized his events in Buffalo.
o Zach Bogosian(x Buffalo Sabres) started his Foundation and organized events for his Foundation.
o She has been planning events in Buffalo for over 38 years and has planned over 700 events.
o Stitch Buffalo – They make the Water Buffalo hats and have benefitted tremendously from her endeavors.

Buffalo Bills related:
o Has been a season ticket holder since 1999
o She has been a BIG advocate for the Buffalo Bills and has been running a tailgate party every Sunday for decades at the Big Tree Inn.
o She has not missed a home game in over 30 years
o Started the Water Buffalo Club 716 in 2021
o She has been planning tailgates at the Big Tree Inn for over 30 years and travels to many away games.
o She has been volunteering for her high school and college for many years in various aspects of events and reunions.
Water Buffalo Club 716:
The Water Buffalo Club 716 is based in Buffalo, New York, but it has members worldwide and is part of the Bills Mafia. It is a group of individuals who wear the infamous blue fur hats with white horns. They gather to socialize, supporting the Buffalo Bills and local charities and causes. The club hosts various events and fundraisers yearly to engage its members and give back to the community.

Therese started The Water Buffalo Club 716 in 2021 to bring together like-minded individuals passionate about the Buffalo Bills and positively impacting the Buffalo community while having fun!

Water Buffalo Club 716 members are encouraged to participate in community service projects and volunteer opportunities. The club also partners with local businesses and organizations to help promote and support the Buffalo community.

Water Buffalo Club mantra:
‘HORNS UP,’ ‘YABBA DABBA DOO, and, of course – GO BILLS!
Social media:
Facebook Page: Water Buffalo Club 716
Facebook Private Membership Group:
Water Buffalo Club 716(members of Lodge 716)
Instagram: WaterBuffaloClub716
YouTube: Water Buffalo Club 716
Twitter: @WBC716
OUR CAUSES:
Stitch Buffalo – https://www.stitchbuffalo.org/story : Stitch Buffalo is a textile art center committed to empowering refugee and immigrant women through the sale of their handcrafted goods, inspiring creativity and inclusion through community education, and stewarding the environment through the re-use of textile supplies. Refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan residing in Buffalo are making the deluxe hats.
The Buffalo Zoo: Donations are made to the Buffalo Zoo/ the Bison’s exhibit at the Zoo in the name of the Water Buffalo Club 716. It is a natural fit for us! https://buffalozoo.org/exhibits/bison-exhibit/

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Resilience and determination: Entrepreneurs must be able to overcome setbacks and failures and persist in the face of challenges.
2. Creativity and innovation: I always must think outside the box and come up with new and unique solutions to problems.
3. Leadership: I must always be able to inspire and motivate my team and effectively communicate with them.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents always gave us great advice but would never do the work for us. We had to always work and earn our own money from babysitting to summer jobs. They gave me a great foundation for work ethic and to shoot for the moon and dream and think big.

Contact Info:

• Website: @waterbuffaloclub716
• Instagram: @waterbuffaloclub716
• Facebook: @waterbuffaloclub716
• Linkedin: Therese Forton-Barnes
• Twitter: @wbc716
• Youtube: @waterbuffaloclub716
• Other: I also have a business The Green Living Gurus and a podcast Green Living with Tee, and a product line Tee’s Organics – healthy for you and your homewww.thegreenlivinggurus.com

Image Credits

Therese Forton-Barnes