The Eugene R. DeMinico II Memorial Foundation donated $11,000 to the Pittston Twp. Police Department’s K9 Unit on Thursday. Left to right: Joseph Hawk, Pittston Twp. supervisor; Pittston Twp. Police Chief Lena Angelella; Dr. Gene DeMinico; Pittston Twp. Police Sgt. Ruddy Navarro; Zeus; and Ashley Aritz-Moska, DeMinico Foundation committee member.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Twp. Police Sgt. Ruddy Navarro with his police canine Zeus at the Pittston Twp. Municipal Building. Sgt. Navarro has been Zeus’ handler and partner for five years on the force.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON TWP. — The Eugene R. DeMinico II Memorial Foundation donated a check to the Pittston Twp. K-9 Division on Thursday as a result of the proceeds from the annual basketball tournament between Pittston Area and Wyoming Area.
Pittston Twp. Chief of Police Lena Angelella, Township Supervisor Joseph Hawk, and canine Zeus accepted a $11,000 check on behalf of the DeMinico Foundation. To date, the Foundation has donated $90,000 over the last 20 years.
Pittston Twp. Sgt. Rudy Navarro has been Zeus’ handler since the canine landed in Pittston Twp. from Norway five years ago.
According to Dr. Gene DeMinico, Eugene’s father, money raised over the years has been through a combination of raffles, corporate sponsors, and donations to raise the $90,000 since its inception.
Over the years, the DeMinico Foundation has donated money to municipalities with a canine unit as well as Pittston Twp., which have been receiving donations since death of Eugene. Pittston Twp. is the only remaining police entity with a canine unit.
“We have donated to other towns with canine units and Pittston Twp. and we are very happy to help,” Dr. DeMinico said. “At the last basketball game held at Wyoming Area, we had over 50 raffle baskets.”
Chief Angelella was pleasantly surprised when she opened the envelope with the check from Dr. DeMinico. The last number DeMinico gave her was less than the final donation.
“Your support, given in honor of your son, Gene DeMinico II, is deeply moving to all of us,” Chief Angelella said. “Gene’s service and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and your decision to give back in this way speaks volumes about the kind of person Gene was and the values he carried.”
DeMinico was serving as a patrolman with the Pittston Twp. Police Dept. at the time of his death.
Zeus’ services have reached all over northeastern PA over the years for either official police business or to visit classrooms in many of the school districts around the region.
Dr. DeMinico said he couldn’t do all the work he and his wife, Debbie, do for the foundation without help from committee people such as Ashley Aritz Moska, Wendy Tigue, and Jerry Ranieli, for everything they do for the foundation.
“First, I would like to thank all the private donors and basket sponsors that contributed to the Pittston Area-Wyoming Area game that is played in memory of my son Gene,” Dr. DeMinico said. “Your generosity allowed us to donate this afternoon $11,000 to the Pittston Twp. Police K-9 division in Gene’s memory. This could not have been accomplished without all of our community support. Our family will always love and support our very special family in blue.”
