ABOUT BUFFALO BILL
The WHY behind our annual memorial golf tournament.
Will
The why behind Buffalo Bill's Roundup is: William Francis Kelly, or "Will", "Buffalo Bill" - a man of many nicknames. Will was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 18th, 1995, and quickly made a big impression on the world with his humor, wit, and unwavering loyalty to those he loved.
After growing up in Florida and Utah, Will joined his older sister at the University of Alabama for college. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and moved to Birmingham after college to work as a financial project manager in the construction industry. Will loved the simple things in life: good music, Alabama football, playing a round of golf, a good burger, and Coors Light. But above all else, he cherished his relationships with his friends and family.
On November 6, 2020, Will was killed from fentanyl poisoning. Someone he was with after a night out served him a lethal dose of fentanyl, and he passed away quickly in his sleep after ingesting it. Will's death poses questions and conversation about the opioid epidemic, fentanyl awareness, mental health, drug use, and other very real, complex issues that our friends, family, and communities struggle with.
While we don't pretend to know all of the answers, starting the discussion and making people feel less alone is one of our goals in hosting this golf tournament.
In honor of Will, his life, and starting change-making, vulnerable conversation, we started an annual golf tournament in his honor: Buffalo Bill's Roundup.
THE EVENT
The inaugural Buffalo Bill's Roundup Memorial Tournament was held nearly a year after Will's passing, on September 19, 2021 in Will's hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. The subsequent events have been held in Alabama, and most recently, Denver, CO. While the main purpose of the event is to celebrate and remember Will, it is also a charity event to raise donations for a cause that will help others in a meaningful way. Over $4,000 dollars in donations from the inaugural event were given to The Crimson Tide Foundation and the Partnership for a Healthier America in 2021. For the second annual event in 2022, we donated over $4,500 to the SAFE Project. At the third annual event in 2023, we raised $6,196 to donate to the Michael Leonardi Foundation. At the fourth annual event in 2024, we raised $9,640 for the National Harm reduction Coalition. At the fifth annual event in 2025, we raised $5,535.60 for the National Harm reduction Coalition. In 5 years we have raised a total of $29,871!
THE CAUSE
Since 2020, fentanyl has devastated families and communities across the United States. According to the CDC, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in the deaths of more than 340,000 Americans between 2020 and 2025. Although recent years have shown encouraging signs of progress, fentanyl remains the leading driver of overdose deaths in our country, leaving countless families to face unimaginable loss.
Proceeds from the 2026 tournament will benefit the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and dignity of people impacted by drug use through evidence-based harm reduction strategies. For more than 25 years, the NHRC has partnered with communities across the country to develop and expand programs that reduce overdose deaths, prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, and connect people with critical resources and support. This year's donations will support the organization's Overdose Prevention Program, which expands access to naloxone, increases fentanyl test strip distribution, and provides education that empowers communities to prevent overdose deaths. We are honored to support an organization whose work is helping save lives every day.
We know Will would have wanted to bring awareness to this cause, so we are honored to partner with the National Harm Reduction Coalition in 2026 to honor Will's memory.
