Shelton boy donates hair to cancer kids

Eli Elliott of Shelton turns 6 this week, and until a week and half ago, his hair had never been cut beyond a trim.

Two Saturdays ago, Eli's mother, Amanda Elliott, braided his elbow-long hair and cut it off at KSB Salon in Shelton, where she is a master stylist.

Eli said he was inspired by a video on the nonprofit Wigs for Kids and wanted to give his locks "to kids who have cancer and don't have any hair anymore."

He winked at his grandmother, Angela Bonds, during the haircut, and pronounced the result "nice."

"It dries faster, and I can comb my hair faster," he said.

What's left of Eli's hair is bundled up, but don't call it a manbun or a boybun. Eli calls it his "Thomas the Train stack," after the central character on his beloved TV show.

"He's obsessed with trains," said his grandmother.

Eli's mother is offering to trim the manes of others who want to donate their locks to cancer patients. Bring a zip-close bag and Elliott will cut your hair and give you the instructions on how to send the braids to Wigs for Kids (wigsforkids.org).

Eli attends Mason County Christian School, and will be in the first grade in September. He's a big fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and plays soccer and baseball. He has sibling twins, a boy and a girl, who are 7 months old.

And what's next for Eli's hair?

"I'm going to grow it, and then donate it again," he said.