NFL: SEP 08 Bills at Jets
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As the Buffalo Bills welcomed fans to the new Highmark Stadium, team co-owner Kim Pegula made her first known public appearance in over two years. Joined by her husband Terry and their son Matthew, they walked across the new field and posed for photos.
Kim, 57, went into cardiac arrest four years ago, in June 2022. Her daughter, Kelly, performed CPR until paramedics arrived; Kim suffered significant brain damage and memory issues and is still undergoing therapy. She last appeared in public in July 2024 at a Bills training camp.
Her daughter, tennis player Jessica Pegula, wrote in the Player’s Tribune in February 2023. “She loved to work. She did everything and our family constantly told her how she needs to slow down and take time for herself. She was the woman behind my dad’s success and my dad would happily admit that. She jumped into this journey with him and learned many lessons along the way, breaking a lot of barriers. She was the shift in culture, positivity, and the heartbeat of many of the employees. She gave everyone so much of her time and effort. She lived it and loved it, and it was felt by everyone she met. Now we come to the realization that all of that is most likely gone. That she won’t be able to be that person anymore.”
Her appearance at the new stadium was fitting, notes local paper Democrat & Chronicle, as Kim played a key role in bringing the new Highmark Stadium to life. She “helped negotiate the 30-year lease agreement with New York State months before suffering cardiac arrest.” At the ribbon-cutting ceremony in June, her husband Terry was emotional as he spoke about his wife. “Kim, I wish you could have finished this project with the same passion and hard work that you started with,” he said.
Kim pictured above in 2019.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.