$130K Raised For Family Of Woman Killed In Explosion

WOODSTOCK, GA — Residents in and around Cherokee County are coming to the aid of the family of a Woodstock woman and middle school PTSA president who died in a boat explosion while celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary near the Bahamas.

The community has donated more than $130,000 to help the family of Maleka Jackson, who was killed June 30 when the explosion was reported around 9 a.m. near the island of Exuma, which is about 130 miles south of Nassau. As of Saturday morning, a GoFundMe campaign to help the Jackson family has raised a little more than $130,663 since it was launched earlier this week.

"Thank you so very much for showing the Jackson’s how much they mean to all of us," said campaign organizer Carol Smith-Wooden. "We are one!"

Jackson was the PTSA president for the 2017-18 school year for Mill Creek Middle School, according to its Facebook page. She and her husband, Tiran, were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary when the explosion killed the beloved mother and school volunteer and severely injured her husband. Tiran Jackson has been hospitalized since the incident, and the couple's son, Cameron, is staying with relatives in Tennessee.

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A vigil was held Tuesday, July 3 in the Lakestone community in Woodstock where residents took part in a "beautiful testament to a beautiful woman and her impact on our community," Mill Creek PTSA said on its Facebook page. Principal Matthew May, PTA advocate Lisa-Marie Haygood, Jackson's friends and family members and Pastor Keith Norman of The Factory Church of Woodstock all provided words of "love and encouragement," the school notes.

Mill Creek PTSA added that Jackson's funeral arrangements are being coordinated by John P. Franklin Funeral Home in Chattanooga. Details of the service have not been released at this time.

The Jackson family still needs help from the community, as any money contributed to the GoFundMe page will be used to take care of immediate needs of the family.

"Since this is such a life changing event, and there will still be several long term needs, we’d like to continue the fundraising efforts," Smith-Wooden added. "Please continue to share the link. Please do still donate if you haven’t already. We accomplished this in less than 48 hours, imagine what we can do to make sure Ti and Cam are taken care of, as Maleka would have."

If you want to consider making a donation to the Jackson family, visit the GoFundMe page.

Image via GoFundMe, a Patch Partner