Stew benefit held for Madison Co. Sheriff’s deputy with cancer

JACKSON, Tenn. — An officer tasked with helping others is getting a little help of his own from those in the community.

“You couldn’t ask for a better guy than Mark,” Jackson Police Officer Roy Cole said.

A current Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy, a former Jackson police officer and a U.S. Marine.

Those are just a few ways Cole describes his friend Mark Ellington, an officer beginning his fight with stage four liver cancer.

“He helps anybody, always with a smile on his face,” Cole said.  “His cancer is aggressive and rapid, and you’ve got to help when you can, where you can. I know he’d do it for me.”

Deputy Ellington got a little help from the community, as the Jackson Police Spouses Association hosted a stew fundraiser to help pay for his medical bills.

Organizers say between 150 to 175 gallons of stew were made benefiting the officer in need.

“A lot of it  was unexpected, they let me know they were thinking about it, and next thing I know, they did it,” Deputy Ellington said. 

Deputy Ellington says even though he’s in his third treatment, he’s still working and his sense of humor  keeps him strong.

“I have a sense of humor about it, and if I didn’t have that, I’d probably be bed ridden like most people,” he said.

Until Ellington recovers, friends like officer Cole say they will be there every step of the way.

“I love him a lot, he’s done a lot for me over the years and he’s more than a co-worker,” he said. “Mark, we’re still here for you, praying for you and we’re going to help any way we can.”

Organizers say money raised will be deposited into the Jackson Police Spouses fund, which will help pay for Ellington’s medical expenses.

The Capt. Jack Holland Marine Corps League Detachment also presented a check to Ellington’s family.