GROVES — Go Fund Me account has been established to help pay medical bills for Dale Jackson, the city’s fire chief who was recently diagnosed with cancer is undergoing treatment in Houston.

Monies raised from the online fundraiser will go toward incidental expenses not covered by insurance.

“There are so many hidden expenses such as the parking garage. You pay $20 every time you go,” Brad Corley, one of the fund’s organizers, said in a telephone conversation.

Corley, who recently retired from the Groves Fire Department as a captain, said his former boss could always be counted on to help others.

“If anyone ever needed help, call Dale and he was always there to help,” Jackson said. “This is an opportunity to at least semi pay him back for all he’s done for the community, though there is no way we can pay him in full.”

Jackson first signed on with the Groves Fire Department as a junior volunteer, for teens ages 16 to 18, when he was a young. He then became a full-fledged volunteer, then hired on as a firefighter, then elevated to captain before he made chief.

In spite of his illness, Jackson remains the city’s fire chief

“Even with the diagnosis, Dale’s accomplishment’s far outweigh this obstacle in life,” Ronnie Boneau, with the Groves Chamber of Commerce said in an e-mail Thursday. “He has dedicated his life to the fire service with over 40 years of service.”

“He’s been there a long time and seen lots of changes. He saw the community through the hurricanes and helped put our community back together,” Corley said.

Jackson is being treated at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston. He has had surgery and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Corley said no donation is too small.

“We will take a penny; every penny adds up,” Jackson said. “If it was for someone else, he would be the first to step up and say let’s help,” Corely said. “We’ve done benefits before for various people, some in the fire department, some not; he was always instrumental in making it happen.

Corley and a group of other organizers plan to meet Sunday to plan a community fundraiser, likely in February, he said.

Along with his fire service experience, Jackson is the city’s emergency management coordinator, Mid-County Small Animal Shelter coordinator, and the current president of the Sabine Neches Chiefs Association. He is also actively involved with a large variety of civic organizations throughout the area, while also fulfilling a personal obligation to his church.

“Dale’s journey is steadfast because he wants to be able to continue enjoying the one thing he holds near to his heart, his family,” Boneau said.

To make a donation visit the Go Fund Me link at https://www.gofundme.com/8ua7bbs4

E-mail: sherry.koonce@panews.com

Twitter: skooncePANews