Organizers and Volunteers gather to celebrate the success of this year’s fundraiser for a charity that benefits children
By Rodney Hart
Sammy Fund organizers announced Thursday that the annual fundraiser in October raised a record $41,096.85.
The October 20-21 run, walk, golf tournament, dinner and silent auction benefited the Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity Fund. The event was started in 2000 to honor Samantha Otte, who died at age 10 after a liver transplant made necessary by cystic fibrosis.
In addition to the money raised from the weekend event, honorary Chairmen Richard and Patty McNay raised $15,600 through a letter-writing campaign. A fashion show earlier this year organized by Ally & Co. raised an additional $3,401, putting this year’s overall total to more than $60,000.
The Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity Fund was established in late 2000 through the Community Foundation of the Quincy Area. There have been 73 youth-oriented grants of nearly $97,000 made through the fund since 2000, and the weekend event is a reminder of how Chuck and June Otte turned the death of their young daughter into something positive.
Last year’s Sammy Fund event raised more than $38,000. Organizers gathered Thursday at the Quincy Boat Club to celebrate the good news from this year’s event.
“People involved and who donate time and money to the Sammy Fund know it benefits children,” Chuck Otte said. “This also speaks to the generosity of the community, the generous nature of people in this town. It motivates us to make it bigger and better every year.”
Chuck and June Otte praised the 20-member volunteer group that organizes the event every year and they lauded the McNays for their work this year.
“We appreciated the opportunity to serve, and we really enjoyed it,” Richard McNay told the crowd after he and his wife received a standing ovation for their efforts. “This is an all-volunteer-driven group, and for us to be involved with something like this is an honor.”