If you go
What: Fundraiser the Nick Theofilis Memorial EMS Scholarship
When: Monday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m.
Where: Carnivores, Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont
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Nick Theofilis had a passion for helping others.
“Throughout Nick’s life, he was a helper. He helped anybody,” said his mother, Lori Theofilis.
A son of Penn Hills, Theofilis was a member of the high school’s Navy Junior ROTC until he graduated in 2017, an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter with the Rosedale Fire Department. He worked as an EMT for Oklahoma EMS, White Oak EMS and began working as a Penn Hills paramedic in June 2022.
His life of good deeds was cut short on Nov. 27, 2022, when he was involved in an accident in Pittsburgh after transporting a patient to a nearby hospital.
To preserve his legacy, his family decided to start the Nick Theofilis Memorial EMS Scholarship to continue Nick’s passion of helping others.
“He was always there to help anybody,” Theofilis said. “We wanted to pay it back and help people who want to go into the profession of paramedic and EMS.”
Before applications for the scholarship open, the Theofilis family will be fundraising to make sure the scholarship is sustainable.
The first fundraising event will be held on Jan. 27 at Nick’s favorite haunt, Carnivores, a restaurant and sports bar in Oakmont.
“Nick was a wonderful young man,” said Jodi Keefe, manager of Carnivores. “He was magical.”
Theofilis said that starting at 5 p.m., a percentage of food and drink sales will be donated to the scholarship. There will also be a basket auction and 50/50 raffles. Attendees will be able to buy “Nick ties.”
“Nick liked to dress up and he had multiple ties,” Theofilis said.
Nick was a regular at the bar, always offering his help whenever it was needed. A plaque with a dedication to Nick sits at his favorite seat at the bar.
Keefe said Nick came to the rescue when, one night, Carnivores’ dishwasher broke. Her brother, John, is the owner of Carnivores and The Lot. The two restaurants are a few blocks apart along Allegheny Avenue. The employees decided to use the dishwasher at The Lot and began making plans to get the dishes between the restaurants.
“Nick stayed until the bar closed and carried tubs of all those dirty dishes to the Lot,” Keefe said.
She said Nick helped carry the dishes over, helped wash and carry them back. The whole thing lasted from 2 a.m. until around 5:30 a.m.
“He didn’t have to do that. It was in his nature to help,” Keefe said. “That was one instance, but there were thousands of times like that.”
Keefe and her brother worked with the Theofilis family to host a celebration of life for Nick in January 2023. More than 400 people showed up to pay their respects.
Theofilis said she considers Carnivores and the Penn Hills Masons, of which her son was a member, as sponsors for the scholarship.
The fundraiser night is the first of an annual event that will be hosted on or around Nick’s birthday on Jan. 26, Theofilis said. He would have been 26 this year.
“We want to make sure the scholarship is sustained over the years,” Keefe said. “We know we can help … We’ll do it every year until we’re not here anymore.”
Haley Daugherty is a TribLive reporter covering local politics, feature stories and Allegheny County news. A native of Pittsburgh, she lived in Alabama for six years. She joined the Trib in 2022 after graduating from Chatham University. She can be reached at hdaugherty@triblive.com.
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If you go
What: Fundraiser the Nick Theofilis Memorial EMS Scholarship
When: Monday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m.
Where: Carnivores, Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont
TribLIVE’s Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
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