A 9-year-old Tennessee boy became concerned when he heard President Donald Trump was only going to take a $1 salary, so he decided to help.
“I thought, how is he going to eat or drink,” Eli’sha Davies told WBIR. “Or, you know, pay, if he needs to pay his water bill or anything.”
Eli’sha then told his mother, Melissa, that he wanted to send some money to Trump.
“My first impression was like, ‘You’re going to give your money away again,’ cause he’s been trying to save it up for a mandolin,” Melissa recounted to WBIR. “But at the same time, I was like, I don’t want to discourage his generosity, and I think it’s sweet.”
Eli’sha sent a letter to the newly sworn-in president in January, enclosing his donation of $3.
As the months passed, he forgot about it, until a large envelope addressed to him showed up in the mail Monday.
The envelope contained a letter from Trump thanking Eli’sha, but explaining he could not accept the gift. However, the president hoped the boy would “look for ways to make a difference” in his community.
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“With your faith and determination, I have no doubt you can do anything to which you set your mind,” the president added. “Think big and dream even bigger! You are the future of our great nation.”
In addition to the letter, the envelope also contained an autographed picture of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office, as well as Eli’sha’s $3.
When Eli’sha was asked what he would do with the returned money, he said he is “going to put some serious thought into it.”
“Well, I just want to be a blessing to everyone,” he added.The surprises for the Tennessean did not stop with Trump’s letter.
His mother revealed to WBIR that her son had been saving for a new mandolin for over a year, but was struggling because he kept giving his money away.
“Eli’sha has a big heart,” she explained. “He’s very conscientious and empathetic. I just hope that never changes.”
The boy plays the mandolin at church, but had not been able to practice at home.
When the Young Musicians Education Foundation Inc. heard of Eli’sha’s dilemma, they decided to send him a brand new mandolin.
By law, the president receives an annual salary of $400,000 per year; however, Trump has pledged to give his salary away. He donated his first quarter’s salary of about $78,000 to the National Park Service for a restoration project at Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland. Trump gave his second quarter’s salary of $100,000 to the Department of Education to help fund a summer camp that focuses on math, science and engineering skills.
As reported by Western Journalism, Trump made an 11-year-old’s day last month when he granted the boy’s wish to mow the White House lawn and then invited him and his father into the Oval Office.
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(via: Western Journalism)
