James Pacek loved playing hockey, so it’s only appropriate his friends will strap on skates to honor his memory.

They’ve organized a “Pucks for Pacek” charity hockey game to be held Saturday at Kirk S. Nevin arena in Greensburg, and the event is shaping up to be bigger than any of them planned.

James Pacek, 49, of Derry, died unexpectedly of a heart attack last month. He had a wife and three children.

“We were standing around before we went to the funeral home and we said ‘Hey, we need to do something,’ but we didn’t know what it was,” said Tony Diorio, one of the organizers of the Pucks for Pacek fundraiser.

Pacek, a chef at DeNunzio’s Restaurant in Jeannette, played hockey for several local amateur teams. Many of his friends knew him through the sport, so they decided it would be appropriate to celebrate his life on the ice.

They planned to get together, play a game of hockey, remember old times, and raise a bit of cash for his family.

Then they realized just how many friends Pacek had.

“It just kept growing,” Diorio said.

More than 70 people have RSVP’ed on the event’s Facebook page, and more than twice as many have indicated that they might attend.

Donated merchandise will be put up for auction, including signed sticks and jerseys from NHL teams including the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings.

“We were really excited about that,” Diorio said. “We were (originally) thinking we could raise $1,000, or maybe if we got really lucky $2,000.”

Now he’s hoping to raise a minimum of $5,000 for Pacek’s family.

Alicia Pacek, Jim’s wife, said she’s been overwhelmed by the show of support by her husband’s friends and the community.

“I was just very grateful, for anything anybody could do,” she said. “I was amazed.”

She knew her husband had many friends, but didn’t know just how many until recently.

“You don’t realize how many people (he) touched and affected until something like this happens.”

Pucks for Pacek starts at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at the Kirk S. Nevin Arena. The players will be Pacek’s former teammates, wearing jerseys made in his honor.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

After the game, attendees will gather at All Saints Brewing Co. for Pints for Pacek. A portion of drink sales will benefit the family, and the donated items will be auctioned.

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