Letter to the Editor:

On Saturday, Aug. 16, the Nottingham Day Care held a car wash to raise money for the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation. The foundation was created by Paul Matthews, Eli's dad. Eli battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is a form of cancer, for a little over three years.

The children from the daycare took the day to wash cars along with their parents. These children could have been swimming, watching cartoons, playing video games, or spending time with their friends, but instead they chose to help raise money for a foundation that will help other children.

During the car wash, two people decided to have their hair cut and donated it to the Locks of Love organization. This doesn't mean that you simply get your hair trimmed. You have to donate ten inches of hair.

The first person was seven-year-old Kimmy Welch, who attends the Elk Ridge School. When asked why she was doing this, her reply was, “I want to give my hair to another girl who has lost her hair.” That is a lot for a seven-year-old to do. Paul Matthews cut her hair.

The second person to donate to Locks of Love was Ruth Matthews, who is Eli's mom and Paul's wife. This was emotional for everyone involved—but we all knew how proud Eli was of his mother's actions.

Participating in Locks of Love shows how you can help children who are dealing with a horrible disease. Remember: The hair will grow back and donating will put a smile on someone else's face.

You can read the life story of Eli Seth Matthews on www.braveeli.com. Walgreens in Oxford also carries all of the clothing, CDs, wristbands, and jewelry that is being sold to benefit the foundation. All proceeds go directly to the Eli Seth Matthews Foundation. There are also upcoming events listed on the website that you can attend to help raise money for this deadly disease affecting so many children.

Paul Matthews, along with Eli's Warriors, will fight this battle to the end.