On June 3rd & 4th, Jim Kelly held the 26th annual Celebrity Classic to benefits his charity Kelly for Kids, which has helped serve the disadvantaged and disabled youth in Western New York since its founding in 1986. This year Kelly had the absence of former teammate Kent Hull on his mind, as Hull died in October at age 50.
“It’s good to see all these guys. This year it’s bittersweet. When you lose a guy like Kent Hull, the sweet part is the memories we’ve had. He was such a big part of this tournament. I think he might have missed one or two in the 26 years. He’s sorely going to be missed today.” Hull was the one of the Bills’ team captains with Kelly for his final seven years, including their four straight Super Bowl appearances together.
The Gala held on June 3 was a star-studded event hosted by Kelly at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Buffalo. Celebrity Guests in the past have included Chad Michael Murray, ESPN’s Chris Berman, Marv Levy, former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg, and Nasty Knobs (from Hogans Knows Best). Current and former players came together as well including: CJ Spiller, Dan Marino, Andre Reed, Steve Christie, Corey McIntyre, Victor Green, Cornelius Bennett, Doug Flutie, Andy Levitre, and Eric Wood to name a few. With all Kelly’s supportive celebrity guests, this year’s event did not disappoint.
Along with dinner, a silent auction to benefit Kelly for Kids and some live entertainment, guests were able to bid to play golf with their favorite celebrity on Monday June 4th. Despite the rain on on the greens of Terry Hills Golf Course, Bills’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick also made it out to support his Hall of Famer predecessor.
It was a fun-filled event that also helped to support a fantastic cause. If you’re interested in seeing what Kelly for Kids is about, or to donate or get involved, you can find all the information about Kelly for Kids at Kellyforkids.com
