“Smokin’ Joe Dawson” is a man I remember from listening to the radio in Chicago during the 1980s, when my Mom moved back to Chicago to work for United Airlines, as I was an undergraduate at Texas-Arlington. So, I would fly home and when driving the car, would turn to WBBM-FM, and hear the voice of the legendary “Smokin’ Joe Dawson”. Well, fast forward to today, and I discovered that “Smokin’ Joe Dawson” passed away on May 24th, a victim of COVID-19, and a lack of federal government help, as his Atlanta sports marketing business was wiped out.
Now, his wife Ellen needs to raise $8,000, and is about $2,000 short of her goal. She can tell the rest of the story better than I can:
As most of you know, the world lost an incredible, former radio personality and total gentlemen, my husband, Smokin’ Joe Dawson. That man worked harder than anyone I know to be sure that finances were always taken care of.
As Joe’s illness began to progress, we were all hit with Covid-19’s Cornavirus causing lock downs, and business shut downs, which continue to be restricted for the most part. Joe had a very prosperous business he built himself after years of sports marketing and many many repeat clients who helped carry his business. His whole business hit a brick wall the minute our country shut down. Every single major sports event, PBR events, Nascar events shut down with the rest of us. Joe’s sports marketing company was completely wiped out in a matter of one day.
In order for us to live day to day, and waited for ‘help to come from the government, we utilized what we could out of our credit cards, which ended being completely maxed out. As sick as Joe was, and as physically hard as it was, that man continued to work every single day, trying to help sell Covid-19 Cleaner and cleaning service but the weeks that it took just to find ONE business who would be interested would smash his hopes when business commitment was hard to find.
Joe was one of the first businesses to jump on the application for the first PPP loan which failed small businesses because of those large companies grabbing up the funds right away. We tried to enroll for Unemployment benefits but that too failed. We did (finally) receive our stimulus checks but every penny went directly to bill collectors.
Joe was more distraught than ever by this time and at the same time, his health took a turn for the worse as he developed double pneumonia and went in to the hosp in late April. ($73K+ for that week). One of the hardest things for me, and for Joe, at the time was that NO visitors were allowed. He would be alone to fight his battle. Joe came thru that hosp stay, healed and came home on May 5th, only to return to the hosp a few days later with other very serious health issues and never came home after that. He passed away on May 19 at about 5:15 pm calmly and peacefully. Now my healing begins….
This brings me to the current day. After taking care of as many of the pressing bills as I could, what money I did have didn’t last long and without any money coming in, everything is in the red. And, I’m afraid that by the time I receive the death cert’s, to be able to file for anything, we will lose even more things before then.
I am trusting that God will always meet my needs but I have to be proactive about it as well, so I decided to turn to all of my friends and loved ones at once and God led me here to gofundme. I can’t, nor do I want to turn to any ‘one’ person for immediate financial help so this way it gives any and all a choice to help if you feel led to.
Doing this fundraiser for myself is not only embarrassing, but a lesson in how to humble myself. I’m not one to ask for help, but this time, I must. Thank you SO much for any help any one of you can give me!
The money that is raised will go towards immediate, pressing financial issues and will give me enough for basic daily living for the next 2 months until the death cert’s arrive and things can be taken care of.
Much love and many thanks in advance for your consideration in helping with my cause.
Sincerely, affectionately, and fondly,
Ellen Dawson
You can donate here: