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QUINCY, Illinois- Thirteen agencies dedicated to improving the lives of young people got a helping hand from the Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity fund on Wednesday.

The organization marked what would have been Samantha's 20th birthday by donating more than 18 thousand dollars to agencies like the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Adams County, The Girls Scouts of Central Illinois and the Muddy River Opera Company.

Since the fund was originally established back in 2000 it has given more than 156 thousand dollars to agencies like these that are dedicated to improving the community by encouraging our young people to better themselves.

Samantha's mother, June Otte, says, "We tend to support agencies that Samantha would have enjoyed  those activities, with scouting, artistic endeavors, thing working with animals..she enjoyed animals very much, the theatre. We just work through some of the agencies that allow kids to be able to do the things she loved."

Samantha Otte who had cystic fibrosis, died after complications from a liver transplant in 2000.

These are the 13 agencies that recieved awards from the Sammy Fund:

Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Adams County, Camp Callahan, Fall Creek Friends 4-H Club, Good News of Christmas, Jackson-Lincoln Swimming Complex, Inc.

John Wood Community College Foundation,  Muddy River Opera Company, Quanada, Quincy Family YMCA, Quincy Art Center, Sheridan Swim Team, Inc., University of Illinois Extension.