FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department is thankful for a recent surprise donation.
The agency’s K-9 unit attended a charity hockey game last weekend between the Pittsburgh and Baltimore City Fire Departments at the Ice Castle Arena near Pittsburgh. The match was dedicated to retired Pittsburgh Fire Captain George Gross.
Gross went missing near the New River Gorge National River on January 12. His body was recovered on January 16 after Fayette County Lt. Jess McMullen and K-9 “Pappy” helped locate it in the Diamond Point area of the park.
McMullen joined Gross’s family on the ice at Saturday’s game to drop the first puck. At the game’s conclusion, the family announced alongside both fire departments they were donating all proceeds to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 unit.
The game’s proceeds totaled $12,000.
“They wanted to give back to Jess and our K-9 unit,” Sheriff Mike Fridley told MetroNews affiliate WJLS. “We didn’t have any clue, we just thought they were going to recognize Jess and I just got chills. $12,000 dollars is a lot of money and that goes a long way in the K-9 community.”
Gross’s family told deputies they were “extremely grateful” for the K-9 unit’s efforts in helping them to have closure.
“I’m humbled and thankful for the family, I pray for them,” added Sheriff Fridley. “It’s an awful ending, but with the help of the K-9 and Jess and the team and the first responders they were able to put the family at rest and know that they found him.”