A benefit for the family of a late Penn Hills EMS paramedic is being planned as a celebration of life by a longtime friend.

Katie Shimko and other friends and family members are still processing the passing of Penn Hills native Nicholas Theofilis.

“It’s just tragic,” Shimko said. “He always wanted to help and be a supporter of the community. He was so pro-Penn Hills and genuinely born to serve.”

The 23-year-old paramedic and volunteer firefighter at the Rosedale Fire Department died Nov. 27 while on duty driving an ambulance in Pittsburgh.

Theofilis was driving at the intersection of Fifth and Morewood avenues in Pittsburgh shortly after 11 p.m. There was no patient at the time, but Theofilis had a front-seat passenger.

Penn Hills EMS Supervisor Diane Fitzhenry said Theofilis died of blunt force trauma resulting in a traumatic cardiac arrest secondary to a motor vehicle crash.

Neither the passenger, whose name was not released, nor the driver of the other vehicle, were seriously injured.

Theofilis would have turned 24 on Jan. 26.

Instead of planning a birthday party, Shimko organized “A Nite for Nick,” a celebration of Theofilis’ life and legacy and to raise funds for his family.

It is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 27 at Carnivores in Oakmont.

From that time to close, 20% of food and drink sales will be donated to the family, along with proceeds from gift baskets and other raffles.

“It’s a sad but happy event,” said Shimko. “He wouldn’t want us to be sad. So, we’re trying … to make it a happy celebration.

“We’d always hang out there (at the sports bar) and always have a good time. It was a local smaller business, and that’s what he was about.”

About 50 gift baskets will be raffled. They include items such as prints from artist Phillip Hensler, a Linus bike from the Bike Lab Pittsburgh and donations from Oakmont Bakery, Bygone Wines, Turner Dairy Farms, Addison Avenue Catering, Rosedale Beach Club, The Staci Rullo Group from Berkshire and Hathaway, Beer Minimum, Eat’n Park, Pasquale’s and Moonbeam Cafe among others.

Shimko said there is no fundraising goal for the event. She hopes for a large crowd and people sharing their Theofilis stories.

“What I’m really hoping for is just to have people come down and show support,” she said. “It’s such a hard time, and you never really know how much everything costs at the end of the day. You’re never really prepared. He supported this community so much and loved everyone so much that I think it’s just right for our community to show that love to his family.”

Shimko and Theofilis graduated from Penn Hills High School in 2017. The two also spent five summers together working at Rosedale Beach Club.

“We just literally grew up together,” Shimko said. “I remember when he first told me he was going to be a volunteer firefighter. I looked at him and said, ‘It’s so dangerous. You’re crazy.’

“He’s a selfless person and he would put everyone else first and volunteer tremendously everywhere.”

While in high school, Theofilis was a member of Penn Hills High’s Navy Junior ROTC program and became an Eagle Scout.

He started working part time for Penn Hills EMS in January 2019.

He also worked for Oklahoma EMS in the Apollo area before he was hired full time by White Oak EMS in March 2019.

He continued his studies at the Penn State Fayette-Eberly Campus and eventually got his paramedic certification through the state Department of Health.

Theofilis left his left position in White Oak to become a Penn Hills paramedic this past June.

A GoFundMe page was created to help the family with funeral expenses. It had raised nearly $12,000 toward its $15,000 goal as of Jan. 4.