Scholarship fund honoring Lower Burrell Officer Kotecki continues to grow

The Officer Derek Kotecki Scholarship Fund will have distributed $42,500 to area students when awards are presented this spring at graduation time.

Kotecki, a Lower Burrell native, a husband and father of two, served his hometown as a police officer for 18 years, including many as its police dog officer.

He was killed in Lower Burrell making an arrest on Oct. 12, 2011. Kotecki was attempting to arrest a man who was wanted for shooting at another man in New Kensington.

The scholarship program in Kotecki’s honor was started 2013. The program now is in its eighth year.

Eligible students are from Burrell, New Kensington-Arnold, and Kiski Area school districts and are seniors intent on studying law enforcement or seniors taking part in the high school basketball programs at the schools, spokeswoman Shasta Meixelsberger-Bassett said.

Kotecki played basketball for Burrell.

Money is collected from contributions, an annual golf tournament, basket raffles, “Bands in Blue,” and other events.

The eighth annual benefit golf tournament is scheduled Aug. 31 at Hillcrest Country Club.

The tournament will be an 18‐hole, four-person scramble event to include 32 foursomes. Organizers of the golf tournament are looking for donated items and gift certificates for an auction, raffle prizes and sponsors.