22 Western New York Students Earn Free Entry to Jim Kelly Football

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — In celebration of youth, wellness, and community spirit, Univera Healthcare honored 22 local students with a special send-off to the 2025 Jim Kelly Football Camp—completely free of charge. Held at Univera’s Williamsville headquarters, the event recognized students who have shown a strong commitment to healthy living and active lifestyles. The surprise announcement and celebration brought smiles, cheers, and even a few happy tears as families and community leaders gathered to applaud the students’ achievements.

“This is more than just a camp—it’s a chance for these young athletes to grow, connect, and be inspired,” said Paul Valley, vice president of sales at Univera Healthcare (Paul becomes President of Univera Healthcare effective July 4, 2025).

This initiative is part of Univera’s broader mission to invest in the well-being of Western New York’s youth and to create meaningful partnerships that make a lasting impact.

“This collaboration is a great example of what’s possible when schools, community organizations, local sports teams, and health plans come together,” Paul added. “By supporting programs like this, we’re not only encouraging physical activity—we’re investing in the well- being and future of young athletes across Western New York.”

During the celebration, each student received a custom Univera Healthcare jersey autographed by Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. The event also featured refreshments and a photo opportunity with a life-sized ticket to the camp.

The students were selected at random from entries submitted at their schools, which included:

 Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School

 East Aurora Union Free School District

 Global Concepts Charter School

 Lake Shore Central School District

 Eden Central School District

 Frontier Central School District

 Elmwood Village Charter School

 Pioneer Central Schools

 Lockport City School District

Univera Healthcare is a nonprofit health plan that serves members across the eight counties of Western New York. With more than 500 Buffalo-based employees and a local leadership team, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. Univera Healthcare is part of a Rochester-based health insurer that serves more than 1.5 million members across upstate New York. Its mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high- quality, affordable health care, and its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine.

The Jim Kelly Football Camp is a non-contact program open to boys and girls ages 8 to 13. It will be held in two sessions: July 7–9 and July 11–13. The camp focuses on football fundamentals, offensive and defensive strategies, team concepts, and one-on-one drills, all taught by Jim Kelly and his team of coaches.

Congratulations to the East Aurora Union Free School District students that were awarded this opportunity!

Henry Weigel - East Aurora Middle School

Beauregard (Beau) Smith  - Parkdale Elementary