PHILADELPHIA - For the 24th year in a row, the Katie Kirlin Youth Wheelchair Basketball Tournament took place over the weekend featuring athletes from several states on the East Coast. "It’s an exciting sport to watch!
If you’ve never seen it before, you got to check it out, these athletes are amazing what they can do, they’re handling the wheelchair, they’re handling a basketball, it’s an amazing sport," said Erica Young, Program Director with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
The tournament is in honor of Katie Kirlin who was paralyzed in the late 80’s and later died in 1989. Her parents keep her memory alive through this event. "She became paralyzed in '87…there was no Junior wheelchair sports in Philadelphia at the time…after her death we realized that we needed to start something.
There’s no funding for wheelchair sports. It doesn’t come under Special Olympics," said Mr. and Mrs. Kirlin.They raise nearly $15,000 every year to help put on the tournament.
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