Community Rallies Around Oil City Police Officer Battling Cancer, Benefit Dinner Planned for January 31

| January 20, 2020

OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – When Lieutenant Steve Rembold, of the Oil City Police Department, was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer, he decided to fight the disease head-on. However, he’s not alone in the battle; in addition to his family and brothers and sisters in blue, the community has joined together to help support him.

(Photo courtesy OCPD 96 Strong Facebook page.)

In the fall, Officer Rembold began experiencing what he thought was just a persistent cough and was diagnosed with bronchitis.

Further testing included a CT Scan.

He received the cancer diagnosis the day after Christmas.

“Officer Rembold and his family are taking his battle head-on,” family friend and Oil City Police Lieutenant Cory Ruditis told exploreVenango.com.

“They have elected an aggressive treatment regimen of chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. They will be traveling to Erie for his treatments regularly.”

To raise money for Officer Rembold and his family, a chicken and biscuit dinner will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 31, at the Venango Technology Center located at 1 Vo-Tech Drive in Oil City.

The cost is $9.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids and includes drinks and dessert.

Take-outs are available.

There will be a Chinese auction and a bake sale at the dinner. Anyone wanting to donate a basket for the auction can drop it off at the police station in Oil City.

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased from Heath’s Market in Oil City; State Farm Insurance at the Cranberry Mall; Vo-Tech; and the Oil City Police Department. Bracelets to show support for Officer Rembold are also available at those locations. T-shirts can be ordered on the OCPD 96 Strong Facebook page.

All proceeds go directly to the Rembold family.

Lieutenant Ruditis, one of the event organizers, said, “The benefit was brought about to assist him and his family with expenses surrounding his courageous fight with cancer. Once persons were notified about his battle, we began brainstorming of how we can help. The benefit has many moving parts, and lots of people are stepping up to assist with making it a success.

“Everyone understands there is a long road ahead, and they are in this together. They have a great family foundation with a huge support system seen from the outpouring support of the community.”

A nine-year veteran of the Oil City Police Department, Lieutenant Rembold previously worked for Venango County 9-1-1 services. Before that, he served as a police officer in North Carolina.


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