The first Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic was held in Orlando in 1999. Seventy-five golfers gathered with John Bell of Widespread for a round of golf, dinner, silent auction and sold-out concert at the House of Blues. The golf tournament now occupies two golf courses with more than 250 golfers from around the country and the concert has continued to draw massive crowds and a variety of performers. It all started with Bell wanting to do something to help his goddaughter, Hannah, and children like her afflicted with the neuromuscular disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In its first nine years, more than $1.5 million dollars has been raised for SMA research through this event. Year ten promises to bring even more needed funds for this fight against the number one genetic cause of death in children under two.

-From www.hannahsbuddies.org