Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum: The Mighty Penguins

Abstract

The desire by Sue Birkmire to positively impact the life of one child has had an incredible effect on the lives of hundreds of kids. After a divorce, Sue, a nurse at Shriners Hospital in Erie, Pa., offered housing to a woman from the West Indies and her daughter Lisa. The mother provided after school care for Sue’s two sons and Sue took her daughter to Shriners for her physical therapy. One day, as Sue watched Lisa playing basketball in the driveway with the other kids from the neighborhood, she realized that Lisa, and the children at Shriners, would benefit from a basketball team. In addition to being an athletic outlet, the team would provide fellowship and social growth opportunities for the kids. 

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