Jim Kelly, the Buffalo Bills’ Hall of Fame quarterback was unable to attend his own annual charity golf tournament. The football star was still recovering less than a week after completing radiation and chemotherapy sessions to treat sinus cancer, which spread from his jaw. He is hospitalized for recovery at the Erie County Medical Center. The event was held at a golf course a half-hour outside of Buffalo. Friends at the event, including Dan Marino, wore blue Buffalo Bills’ t-shirts with the words “Kelly Tough.”
“Everybody loves Jim. I love him too, man,” Marino said Monday, before the start of Jim Kelly’s annual charitable golf tournament. “I just can’t wait for him to get better and get back out here with us.”
“He’s here in spirit,” said former Bills general manager Bill Polian, who joined Marino in visiting Kelly on Sunday. “And everybody is here to not only aid his charity endeavors, but to show their support for him and our affection for him.”
Kelly’s foundation has awarded more than $5 million to nonprofit agencies serving disadvantaged and disabled youth in Western New York. The golf tournament was preceded by a gala sports dinner and memorabilia auction in Buffalo Sunday. It was exactly one year ago that Kelly announced he had cancer at his popular charity golf tournament. But while Kelly couldn’t attend this year, his presence was strongly felt.
“He’s always been so involved in everything he does so for him to not actually be here is tough on him,” said Dan Kelly, who said golfers were going to be bombarding Jim with messages, photos and videos throughout the day via social media.
“He so wanted to be here, but he needs to rest and it was in his best interest to stay in the hospital. But I can guarantee I’ll be giving him an update, what went right, what went wrong, what we can do better to raise more money next year for the kids.”