8yo Boy Finds $20 In Cracker Barrel Parking Lot, Pays It Forward

[Dakota]

At the Ohio Air National Guard base near Toledo, Lt. Col. Frank Dailey still can't believe the honor recently bestowed upon him.

"It's incredible being recognized in such a manner," he says.

It happened at a Cracker Barrel, of all places. As the security camera shows, Dailey entered the restaurant on Feb. 7 for an early lunch. At about the same time, 8-year-old Myles Eckert came in with his family.

Myles was very excited. He'd just found a $20 bill in the parking lot. He'd started thinking of what he could spend it on.

"I kind of wanted to get a video game, but then I decided not to," Myles says.

He changed his mind when he saw the guy in uniform.

"Because he was a soldier, and soldiers remind me of my dad," Myles explains.

And so, with his dad in mind, Myles wrapped the $20 in a note that read, "Dear Soldier -- my dad was a soldier. He's in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It's your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid."

Army Sgt. Andy Eckert was killed in Iraq, just five weeks after Myles was born. All the kid has ever had are pictures and dog tags, other people's memories and his own imagination.
[...]

After lunch that day, Myles asked his mom, Tiffany, to make one more stop.

"He wanted to go see his dad," Tiffany says. "And he wanted to go by himself that day."

She took a photo from the car. Follow the footsteps and you'll see Myles standing there behind the flag, presumably telling his dad all about it. And whether heaven heard him or not, his good deed continues to impress here on earth.

"I look at it every day," Dailey says of the note Myles gave him.

It turns out Myles gave him a bigger gift than $20.
[...]

Dailey says he's already given away that $20 and plans to do much more. He also hopes that little green Post-It will inspire other people across the country to give -- to give as sincerely and dutifully as that father and son.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-8-year-old-turns-20-into-priceless-gift/

 

[Taxidermi]

What a sweet, wonderful child.
I want to send him $20, or a video game lol

 

[Taxidermi]

Can anyone find out if there is a way to send this little boy a donation?
I would love to send him something to either get the game he wanted, or maybe his mother could start an account for college?

 

[cubby]

The sweet, sincere, artless honesty of the heart of a child.

 

[Taxidermi]

Can anyone find out if there is a way to send this little boy a donation?
I would love to send him something to either get the game he wanted, or maybe his mother could start an account for college?

I would very much appreciate it if someone could find this out.

 

[TheMorningStar]

It is dust in my eyes, I swear.

 

[China]

This made me cry.
This is his sister.

You don’t meet a lot of children with the middle name Freedom. Then again, you don’t meet a lot of children like Marlee Freedom Eckert.

Marlee was only 20 months old when her dad, Army Sgt. Gary “Andy” Eckert Jr., was killed on May 8, 2005, in Iraq. Andy also left behind a wife and a 4-week-old son named Myles on that Mother’s Day.

I did not know Marlee or her family until two weeks ago when I learned of something that had been making her anxious and miserable.

At Marlee’s school there is an annual father-daughter dance called the Winter Ball. This dance sometimes happens to fall on the very day of her dad’s birthday. Marlee’s dad can’t make it, so this dance serves as a painful reminder of her father’s sacrifice — an unnecessary pain, in my opinion, created by an outdated event.

I posted her story on my personal Facebook page, where it garnered an immediate response, both positive and negative. As it went viral with hundreds of shares and tens of thousands of reads, an idea was sparked. What if the brave men and women who are responsible for rescuing, keeping us safe and defending our country would show up in uniform and give Marlee a “hero’s welcome”? This beautiful idea quickly turned into a moment the town of Waterville and Northwest Ohio will never forget.


Marlee Freedom Eckert

On Feb. 22, more than 30 firefighters, police officers and members of the military from Northwest Ohio, both male and female, dressed in uniform to make sure Marlee’s night was special. Even members of fallen Toledo firefighter Jamie Dickman’s graduating class made the journey to Waterville to stand in honor of a man and his little girl they had never met.

Marlee’s arrival at the Winter Ball’s red carpet was met with applause and tears as she witnessed firsthand the respect this community has for her father’s sacrifice. Marlee’s grandpa drove nine hours overnight to make sure she had a proper date. Her mom bought her a red dress to make sure she had the proper attire. The uniformed heroes that welcomed her made sure she had the proper memories.

Once again the heart of Northwest Ohio showed it’s beautiful size and warmth.

I invited Marlee’s mom, Tiffany Eckhert, to use my column space to share her family’s story and struggles. This community is fortunate to have a girl with the middle name of Freedom being raised right here in Northwest Ohio. I expect nothing but great things from her and her siblings in the future. It is an honor just to have shared her story.

Here is Tiffany’s story, in her own words:

(The link has the rest of the story.)

http://www.toledofreepress.com/tag/myles-eckert/

 

[disgusted4sho]

awwww.

 

[Krystal]

Goddamn allergies making my eyes water, a lot.

 

[happypessimism]

I saw this one on fb yesterday... the picture of him hugging the gravestone just broke my heart...

 

[CbabyRKO]

My eyes won't stop leaking. Son of a building block!