Kim Pegula, wife of Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, didn’t always have a lavish life. Her background includes a period as an orphan, an adoption, and events that would later lead to success beyond her wildest dreams.
Beginnings
When Kim Pegula was born, her birth parents left her on a street corner in front of a police station in South Korea. Nobody knows who her parents really are, including Kim. She was then placed into an adoption agency, where she was housed and clothed until she was five. When she was five years old, a family with the last name Kerr was informed there was a child available for adoption.
The Kerrs decided to adopt Kim, who arrived at JFK with nothing but an extra pair of shoes in her bag.
Schooling
Kimwould grow up in Rochester, where she would attend Jefferson Avenue Elementary. There, she learned how to speak English, which was not her first language. Kim then ingrained herself in American society and lived a wonderful childhood with the family that had adopted her. In high school, Kim participated as a cheerleader, a flag girl in the marching band, and a bassoon player. After graduating from Dryden High School, Kim chose to attend Houghton College, which she hoped would give her the experience necessary to be a broadcast journalist.
Chance meeting
Kim and her roommate decided to concoct a grandiose scheme to earn a lot of money at a fishing camp in Alaska after graduation.
To get there, the pair needed to earn money for the trip. They applied for jobs as waitresses at the Old Liberty Restaurant. While they were there, a man named Terry Pegula was eating lunch with a few of his employees from East Resources. Kim and Terry began to talk, and eventually Terry gave Kim his business card and told her to call the number.
Employment
Kim would attempt to call Terry a week later, but he wasn’t in the office, so she left a message. Kim then graduated from college and didn't hear from Terry. She began interviewing for some local television stations, hoping to land a job in the sector. Terry then randomly called her up and asked her out. After a few meetings, he offered her a job at East Resources as a communications expert.
At East, she helped Terry Pegula get on the cover of American Express’ monthly magazine, generating plenty of positive press for the company.
Marriage
After approximately one year, Terry Pegula asked for Kim’s hand in marriage and went directly to the Kerrs forapproval. Kim’s parents had some qualms with a man who was 18 years older than her, but ultimately decided that Kim’s decision mattered most. Kim didn’t care aboutthe age gap, Pegula's divorce, or his kids.All that mattered to her was that this felt right.
Buffalo Sabres
When Terry sold East Resources to purchase the Buffalo Sabres, Kim Pegula took on a bigger role and began to become one of the more prominent women in sports. Kim Pegula helped to improve the marketing, media, and content of Sabres games by creating a fan experience that now includes lights, lasers, and video projections.
Buffalo Bills
In 2014, Terry Pegula also chose to purchase the Buffalo Bills for 1.4 billion dollars, making Kim a co-owner of the team. Terry refused to go through with the purchase without the support of his wife, who knew that running two professional sports franchises would be far too much for one man. In her time as the co-owner of the Bills, Kim has provided much needed support and is a driving force behinda lot of the positive changes that are happening in Buffalo.
Philanthropy
Kim’s background gives her a true understanding of what it is really like to give back. Without her adoption, there’s no telling where she could be now. To give back to the community is now a major goal of the Pegulas, who understand that they are in a position to cause real change. The Pegulas' generosity is evident in their 102 million dollar donation to Penn State and in the 12 million donated to Houghton. And those are just a few of many examples.
