A Journey of Perseverance: An Evening with Jim Kelly
This Event has Been Sold out. Thank you Jeffersonians!
Jim Kelly is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who spent his entire NFL career as a Buffalo Bill. His hallmarks as a player were his accurate passing and his toughness.
Kelly grew up in East Brady, a small town in Pennsylvania, in a household that emphasized the importance of hard work and treating others with respect. He signed with the Miami Hurricanes as a fourth-string quarterback but quickly worked his way up to a starting position before he faced a career-threatening injury. Not one to back down from a challenge, he pushed on and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the NFL Draft in 1983.
He led the Buffalo Bills to an unprecedented four straight AFC championships, despite his toughness being tested time and time again. He is considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League and established the Buffalo Bills as one of the NFL's most successful and dangerous offenses.
After his retirement in 1997, not only did he lose his one and only son Hunter at the age of 8 to the disease Krabbe Leukodystrophy, Jim has also survived four battles with cancer. Kelly established an organization called Hunter's Hope Foundation to raise funds to fight the fatal disease that ended his son's life. He also runs an annual football camp for kids in which he and his NFL colleagues teach leadership, sportsmanship, responsibility, and the fundamentals of football. He is also the founder of the Kelly For Kids Foundation.
At this event, Kelly will tackle the power of the four F's – Faith, Family, Friends, and Fans and what it really means to make a difference. His story is "A Journey of Perseverance."
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 7:00-8:30PM
Location: Gannon University, Yehl Ballroom, Waldron Campus Center, 628 Peach St, Erie, PA 16501
Admission:
- General Admission: $35
- Preferred Seating: $60 (Closest Section Near the Stage)
Additional Fees: Amusement Tax, Processing Fee
Parking: Gannon University parking garage on Peach Street.
This event is sold out. Thank you.
Jim Kelly is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who spent his entire NFL career as a Buffalo Bill. His hallmark as a player was his toughness. From growing up in East Brady, a small town in Pennsylvania, to facing a career threatening injury in his college days, to leading the Buffalo Bills team to an unprecedented four straight AFC championships, Jim’s toughness has been tested time and time again. After his retirement, not only did he lose his one and only son Hunter at the age of 8, to a disease called Krabbe Leukodystrophy, Jim has also survived four battles with cancer. Jim speaks about the power of the four F’s – Faith, Family, Friends, and Fans and what it really means to make a difference. His story is “A Journey of Perseverance”.
