Support for the fight against childhood cancer will crank up Saturday at Eli’s Block Party, a car and craft show hosted by Team Victory 4 All and sponsored by Champion Chevrolet of Athens.

Eli’s Block Party, named for 10-year-old Athens native Eli Williams, is 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church. The event features a judged car show, crafts, kids activities, food, live music by Matt Prater and more.

The honoree or “Champion” for the car and craft show is Leah Seibert, a sophomore at Elkmont High School and a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Kristie Williams, Eli’s mom and founder of Team Victory 4 All said this is technically the second year for Eli’s Block Party. An impromptu event was put together last year for Eli, who has brain cancer.

“The event last year brought almost 400 cars to Athens for the Mustang-lovin’ boy to see,” organizers said.

“We had so much fun, and had such a beautiful response from people. … It just seemed like something that we could make a regular community event that raises awareness and money for childhood cancer,” said Kristie, who — along with friends and family — established the nonprofit group to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — a nonprofit hospital where Eli was a patient — and to eventually help pay funeral expenses of children lost to cancer.

Eli’s Block Party is open to all makes and models and will be judged with awards given in traditional categories as well as the following: Top Pick by Leah and Eli’s Choice.

Kids activities include inflatables, the Lions Club Kiddie train, sidewalk chalk with Toodlebugs, making potions with Harry Potter, the opportunity to “meet” Queen Elsa and Princess Anna as depicted in the movie “Frozen” and more.

“We are excited to grow this event for our community,” said Wendy Yeager, Eli’s aunt and Team Victory 4 All board member. “We have great support and sponsors like Champion, the Grasshopper, McClary’s and Midway Cycle. Our community has always been supportive of events to benefit childhood cancer, so we are expecting to have a great day.”

To find out more, visit teamvictory4all.org.

Update on Eli

Eli’s cancer relapsed in February. He is currently undergoing treatment at MD Anderson where he was accepted into a trial treatment. The treatment is “cutting-edge,” according to Kristie, and is the only trial treatment of its kind.

Eli will be the first to undergo the treatment.

He underwent brain surgery Monday and had a catheter placed into the fourth ventricle of his brain. Kristie said the surgery was the first step in being able to receive the treatment.

“The journey that got us here, the science behind it all is very interesting and it has been a highly anticipated treatment trial,” Kristie said. “NOAH’s Light Foundation is the driver of the trial, and that is a nonprofit group started by a mom who lost her son, Noah, to medulloblastoma the same year that Eli was first fighting it. Noah died at eight, and Eli turned eight that year.”

The treatment includes injecting “Natural Killer” cells into his central nervous system.

“No where else in the world is doing this,” Kristie said. “He will be the first one. A little kid from Athens. It is surreal.”