Four-year-old Eli Waller captured the hearts of many last October.
Now, his family is hoping to keep Eli’s memory alive with a Valentine’s Day weekend event to support the foundation formed in his honor.
The First Day of School Foundation will host the Hearts For Eli Gala Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, Monmouth County. The event will be for all ages. There will be dinner and music. Students from Dance It Up Studios in Hamilton will perform, and children in attendance can also enjoy craft stations and a photo booth.
For the adults, there will be both raffle and silent auction items. Among the items are a guitar signed by the band Weezer, a set of Diamond Club tickets to a Phillies game, a suite/first pitch experience from the Lakewood BlueClaws and a week’s vacation in Aruba. As of Jan. 21, the auction list wasn’t finalized, and Eli’s father, Andy Waller, said he hoped to add even more items.
“We’re hoping it will be a fun, family-friendly event,” Waller said.
The foundation was formed just days after Eli Waller’s death Sept. 25 of Enterovirus D-68. Eli was the first person in the United States to die from the virus, and his life grabbed the attention of people in Hamilton and around the world. The First Day of School Foundation raised $25,000 in the three days after Andy Waller announced it Oct. 10, first to a room filled with media members in Hamilton and later that day to a worldwide television audience on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.
The Wallers are still trying to sort out the details of running a foundation, and have partnered with East Windsor-based Joshua Harr Shane Foundation to learn the ropes. Waller said the new partnership has been invaluable in learning the process of organizing and arranging an event like the gala.
Waller projects the First Day of School Foundation will have raised $100,000 since October, once the gala concludes. The foundation has begun preparing to give its first donations, including a gift of at least $10,000 to the Hamilton Township School District for special education programs. Any donation would first have to be approved and accepted by the Board of Education.
Waller said he’s overwhelmed by the support his family and the foundation has received.
“There’s no way we could possibly approach a level of thanks that would match the overwhelming generosity we’re enjoying,” Waller said, “but we really do want people to know how grateful we are, in every possible way.”
Tickets are $45 for adults and $25 for children. About 175 of 250 available tickets had been sold as of Jan. 21. There will be a cash bar. Eagle Oak Country Club is located 20 Shore Oaks Drive in Farmingdale. For more information or to purchase tickets, email heartsforeli@gmail.com.
–Rob Anthes
Four-year-old Eli Waller died Sept. 25, 2014 from Enterovirus D-68. A gala in his honor will be held Feb. 13 at Eagle Oaks Country Club.,
