Once again Jamey Cooley and Team JDQ fired up the grill for a good cause. On Friday and Saturday, July 3 and July 4, Cooley cooked baby back ribs slabs and Boston butts to raise money for two-and-a-half-year-old John Knox Gilliland, who was diagnosed at 16 months with non-verbal autism. The money raised will help purchase a service dog for little John.
The baby back rib slabs were available Friday night and the Boston butts will be available Saturday, July 4 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. in front of Top Dollar Pawn Shop.
“Before we can get on the list for a service dog, we have to have $17,000,” exclaimed Julie Gilliland, John Knox’s mother. “Then it takes two years to train the dog.”
Gilliland is working with 4 Paws for Ability in Ohio, who trains and places task-trained service dogs for disabled children and veterans throughout the country.
“It costs at least $40,000 to train a dog, but we only have to pay the $17,000,” explained Gilliland.
L-R, Jamey Cooley, Julie Gilliland and her dad, Bo Burroughs. Photo/Linda Cranford
Gilliland’s husband, John, is in the National Guard and has been deployed to Washington, D.C., for a year.
As you may recall, Cooley, who owns Top Dollar Pawn Shop in Laurel along with his wife, Emily, set up his BBQ trailer in Soso the day after the tornado ravaged that area Easter Sunday, and with a crew of dedicated friends cooked food for the tornado victims for almost two weeks. Once again friends volunteered to help with the fundraiser for John Knox.
During the fireworks show at the Sawmill Square Mall Friday night, Cooley and his crew offered free hot dogs and watermelon as people picked up their ribs.
Gilliland said as soon as she raises the money for John Knox, she hopes to help others with their fundraising efforts.
Anyone interested in making a donation may do so to Gilliland’s PayPal account at JMBGill81@gmail.com. For more information contact her at 601-577-2363.