In the week before Christmas, one family is starting new traditions, celebrating the life of eleven -year-old Levi Hays who was an inspiration and a light to all he met.

“He was older so they all looked up to him. He ran the show most of the time when we were together,” his grandmother, Vickie Hays, said about Levi with his sister and six cousins.

The family put together 440 pairs of Christmas socks for law enforcement to distribute this week. The socks had kindness tags on them and included the hashtag #LiveLikeLevi. They gave half to Athens police and the other half to the Limestone sheriff who put the socks in patrol cars for officers to distribute to children during the holidays.

The grandchildren of Vickie and John Hays get together for a cousin sleepover at their grandparents every year after school gets out for Christmas break. This year they wanted to do something to honor the loss of Levi. That’s when Vickie came up with the idea for the socks. Levi loved first responders, law enforcement and the military. and to do something that spread kindness, that was the perfect way to remember Levi.

She said they also took the cousins to visit the tree they decorated in Levi’s honor at the North Pole Stroll in Big Spring Memorial Park.

“Of all the rain and all the wind, that little tree has stood still,” Vickie said. “Right after that first rainstorm we had, people were up there having to put their trees back together and get everything done because the wind had blown them over and messed them up. But his just stood there like nothing happened to it.”

The family has made it a point to honor Levi’s life this holiday season because Christmas was his favorite time of year. His mother, Haley, said one special memory stands out is from this time last year.

“It was his first Christmas knowing the truth about Santa Claus, but he did everything to make sure it was special and magical for his little sister,” Haley said. “He took over reading The Night Before Christmas and the Christmas Story. Then on Christmas Eve, he stuffed her stocking and put all her presents under the tree after she went to bed. I’m thankful that he was able to be the ‘magic’ for her.”

His mother said he loved spending time with family. “He made all of us laugh and never failed to tell any of us, ‘I love you.’”

And it wasn’t just his family that Levi made feel special. Both his grandmother and mother talked about how he could talk to anyone and make them feel like they had always known him.

“We want him to be remembered for being an encourager, a friend to everyone,” Haley said.

Don’t just take it from his family though, the Hays sent The News Courier some letters that his classmates wrote for them after Levi’s death in August. The following quotes are just a few things his friends said.

“He made me feel worth something and would always have a warm smile on his face.”

“Levi would make me laugh on my good days and my bad days. I still can’t believe I am writing this right now. You had an amazing son. He brightened everybody’s days.”

“He always lit up the room with his kind heart.”

“I was given the gift of friendship with Levi … Levi was different form all the other boys. He was kind to everyone. He inspires me to be the same and I will never forget him.”

“He was always there to help those in need … I hope you know that he was very nice to all his friends and he was a great example … He was a very good kid and I’m sure he would have grown up to be a very good man.”

On Friday, Dec. 23 a few of Levi’s friends gathered in downtown Athens to pass out bags of candy and spread some kindness in his honor. The hashtag #LiveLikeLevi was started by Coach Ray Aiken of Athens Youth Football. His family talked about how much he loved football and in his friends letters many of them wrote about how good he was during P.E. class.

“We always knew he was extraordinary to us,” Vickie said. “But [God] has done so much with him and made him extraordinary even from heaven.”

Skyler Hays, Vickie and John’s son and Levi’s father, said “with so much heartache and hurt in this broken world, hopefully [sharing Levi’s story] will encourage someone.”

“We just want to honor God, honor Levi’s memory, and show others that hope can be found, even in the hardest of circumstances,” Haley said.