Published 12:24 pm Wednesday, November 5, 2025
By Candice Stilwell
A Bingo fundraiser is being held in support of former Jefferson County jail corporal, Hector Martinez, who has recently returned home from the hospital after receiving treatment for cancer.
His homecoming was a joyous occasion, and the nonprofit now supporting him, Heroes for Hector, has organized a night of fun at the local Elks Lodge. Their goal is to help pay for medical bills and everyday life.
The event will be centered around a night of Bingo and some raffle drawings from 5 p.m. to around 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Elks Lodge, 262 S.W. Second St. in Madras.
Cody Smith, a former coworker of Martinez, has been a part of Heroes for Hector since the beginning of the organization and cares very deeply for Martinez and his family. Smith said that Martinez’s family was a one-income household, so with Martinez out of work, Smith has been doing his best to help.
“Since he got diagnosed with cancer and started going through everything, I have been trying to be as involved with the family as I can to help them as much as possible,” Smith, a corrections deputy at Jefferson County’s Sheriff’s Office, said. “And it’s just because he’s always been such a good guy. He’s always the guy with a big smile on his face, happy, willing to help people, pretty much would give the shirt off his back.”
Smith is one of the people helping organize the fundraiser.
“I think for him and the family, a big thing is knowing that there are still people that are out there for them and are trying to help them,” Smith said.
Smith estimates that the Bingo cards will be $15 each, and raffle ticket costs have not been set yet.
There will also be specialty drinks available, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Hot dogs and hamburgers will also be available, and proceeds from both food and drinks will go toward the fundraiser.
Heroes for Hector is also running a fundraiser selling custom coins at $25 per coin to support Martinez and his family.