Gill Hall VFD hosting blood drive, fundraiser for late officer Dale Provins Jr.

A volunteer fire department in Jefferson Hills is hosting a blood drive Oct. 10 in honor of a police officer who died in June.

The Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Company will provide a free lunch and sell T-shirts to participants during the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. blood drive through Vitalant. It will be held at the fire station at 1228 Gill Hall Road.

Proceeds from the sale of T-shirts, signs that show support to police and baked goods will benefit the Dale Provins Jr. Memorial Fund.

Provins, 50, of Belle Vernon, served the Jefferson Hills Police Department for 15 years before he died in June from injuries sustained in an on-duty car crash along Old Clairton Road.

The crash left Provins in critical condition for over a week before he died June 13.

At the time, police said Provins was driving northbound and the civilian was driving southbound when they collided in the northbound side of Old Clairton Road. The head-on crash caused another person to be hospitalized.

Keith Reynolds, a Jefferson Hills councilman, said he helped organize the event in conjunction with Gill Hall VFD. He said the money raised will help eventually erect a memorial of sorts for Provins to be displayed at the borough building.

At this point, Reynolds said he doesn’t know how much the memorial will cost or what it will look like. He said it will depend on how much money is raised and on input from the family.

“I would like to think council would step up and honor somebody with almost 20 years of service,” Reynolds said. “I’m just hoping we would do the right thing and have a respectful memorial. He gave his life serving his community, he gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

The event will also feature fire trucks and other public safety vehicles for children to touch and free pumpkins.

Appointments to donate blood are not mandatory but Vitalant recommends it. To make an appointment, call 412-209-7000 or visit vitalant.org and log in. The group code for the event is C5300107.