Update: Facebook Fundraiser for Kent Firefighter Hits Goal

In six days, a Facebook fundraiser run by in Kent met its goal of raising $2,500 for a Kent firefighter battling cancer.

The  long-established, family-run dealership started a campaign April 21 asking people to "friend" their Facebook page and write "Team Beckett" on their wall. For every person who did so, the dealership pledged to donate $1 to Don Beckett, in December. Beckett is on extended leave from the Kent fire department as he undergoes intense cancer treatments.

Jessica Joseph, general sales manager for her father's dealership, said they met the goal this morning with more than 2,500 people taking part in the online fundraiser.

Toyota corporate agreed to match the $2,500 donated by Don Joseph Toyota, so the Beckett family will receive $5,000 from the fundraiser.

"It was amazing," Joseph said. "I gave it a little over a month until we reached our cap, or June 1, whichever came first. I wanted to give it plenty of time to succeed and get the word out. It was jut unbelievable to me that we were able to hit it so quickly. It was just great how everybody pulled together.

"I think it would keep going if we hadn’t capped it at $2,500," she said.

Doctors diagnosed Beckett, 53, with a cancerous tumor in his esophagus in December. The esophagus does not have the ability to contain cancer cells, and it's too large to be removed by surgery.

Earlier this year, Beckett started intense chemotherapy and radiation treatments simultaneously. The treatments left him weak and forced his extended leave from the fire department.

"We're just overwhelmed," Beckett said. "It’s pretty amazing, and it’s really quite a nice thing for Don Joseph and Toyota to do.”

Beckett said the family is doing OK financially right now because he's still getting paid while on extended sick leave. He has applied for fire service disability, but if he's approved he's likely to only get half his annual salary because the disability is not work related. If that's the case, the Becketts will have to consider some hard options — like selling their house to downsize to something cheaper.

"At that point in time it does kind of put us in a financial crunch," Beckett said. "Right now we're OK."

For the Joseph family, the cause is personal for more than one reason.

Several family members also are fighting the disease, including Jessica's father, Don, who has been diagnosed with kidney cancer.

And Beckett's son, Ryan, works part-time at the dealership.

"We treat our employees like family here," Joseph said.

The fundraiser started after Kent Police Officer Kathy Glass approached the dealership about buying tickets to support in May. Both the Kent police and fire departments have already helped support the Beckett family, including arranging .

"But I thought that just wasn’t enough," Joseph said. "I thought, 'what could I do to get everybody in the community to pull together?' We were just totally taken aback at how quickly everybody in the community stepped up to the plate and gathered together."

The fundraiser went viral on Facebook, with people all over the Kent community — and even outside Kent — sharing the link and encouraging friends to post on the dealership's wall. People continue posting "Team Beckett" on the dealership's Facebook wall.

Brock Murphy, a fellow Kent firefighter and friend of Beckett's, said he finished radiation therapy Friday. Now doctors are waiting six weeks before taking a scan of his esophagus to determine his condition and the next step.

"As far as Don Joseph goes, we’re amazed at the support that we’re getting from the community," Murphy said. "I can’t believe it."

has established the "Don Beckett Be Well Account" to help the Brimfield resident and his family. You can donate at any of the branches. The Home Savings Bank branches are located at: 4023 S.R. 43, Brimfield; 142 N. Water St., downtown Kent; and 100 E. Main St., Ravenna.