When 12-year-old Eli Williams was diagnosed with medulloblastomabrain cancer for the second time in 2013, his family shifted into overdrive to help him fight it.

After different experimental trials and a 5 percent survival rate, Williams’ family created Eli’s Block Party Childhood Cancer Foundation to raise money benefiting the cancer research done at the Georgia Cancer Center with Children’s Hospital of Georgia hospital and Augusta University.

Eli is throwing a free block party from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in Athens for both car lovers and families to spend the day. The party, or car show, features trophies, prizes, food, vendors, music and a kids zone.

The car-show idea began because Eli loves cars and is a huge Mustang fan, Kristie said.

“Now he has his own Mustang we take to shows,” said Kristie Williams, Eli’s mother. “The car show is a throwback to his interest and a way to give back to the community.”

The block parties are car shows mixed with family fun days, each celebrating a different child battling cancer,

“I don’t want it to be just about Eli,” Kristie said. “It’s about research to close this funding gap to find a real cure.”

She said the block parties are held for community members and to unite families who have been touched by childhood cancer.

“We’ve had close to 20 families touched by childhood cancer in our county in the last 10 years,” she said.

Party hero

As with all of Eli’s parties, a local child who either has cancer or is a cancer survivor is chosen as the “Headlight Hero.” The hero gets to choose his or her favorite vehicle or bike at the car show. The hero of Saturday’s party will be Valeria Ramirez, 5, of Athens. Ramirez was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, or eye cancer, when she was 11 months old. After she completed treatment, the cancer came back, eventually taking the use of her left eye.

Where money goes

Kristie said the shows are a positive distraction for everyone, and the money raised helps give Eli’s battle more meaning.

“At this point, it basically gives Eli’s fight some worth by giving back to research that’s failed him,” she said.

The Williams’ family chose the Georgia Cancer Center as the recipient of funds because that’s where Dr. Ted Johnson, one of Eli’s doctors, works.

“Dr. Johnson has been a breath of fresh air in this world because of the way he treats the child,” Kristie said. “He treats the child, not the scan. He really believes in adding days, and that’s a concept that parents look forward to.”