For nearly a decade, Sam's Hope has helped kids with childhood illnesses and people in need in Lincoln

Lincoln nonprofit Sam's Hope was originally started to help support those battling childhood cancer.

Since its inception in 2012, Sam's Hope has grown to support people battling any type of childhood illness, as well as members of the Lincoln community.

"It started out with kind of a sad story. We lost our Sam in 2011, September 26. He passed away from cancer. He died when he was sixteen years old. He was the most beautiful person I knew. It was just so hard to lose him," said Marge Kolve, who started Sam's Hope with her husband Glen Kolve.

Rolland "Sam" Kolve was the youngest of eight children, and battled alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma for nearly two years.

"We were in the process of buying Lambkins with the idea that he could come up here. Sam never lived long enough to see that happen. We got about halfway through the paperwork when we lost him. We decided to go through with it. We kinda started out brand new. We put everything we worked our whole lives down on the down payment. I know that my Sam would be honored to have been a part of that," said Kolve.

Sam's Hope is a 501(c)3, and the board runs several events, raffles and auctions throughout the year to raise funds to support families battling childhood illness.

"We had a boy in Livingston, a person in Billings. One family had to get their child to Spokane overnight," said Kolve, noting that the board has helped families who need to travel by getting them a usable car or money down for a train ticket.

Money from Sam's Hope also supports individuals and families in need throughout the Lincoln community. To date, Kolve said the organization has provided $35,000 for people with childhood illnesses and over $38,000 to the Lincoln community.

"It has helped many, many people. We do obscure things, like help an older couple get a load of wood for the winter. We help pay for boxes of food that are delivered to houses. We helped somebody go to her mom's funeral. Whatever we can do," said Kolve, adding, "There's all kinds of different reasons we have helped people."

Every year Sam's Hope gives a $500 scholarship to a graduating senior in Lincoln, as well as to a graduating senior at Great Falls High, where Sam attended school. In addition, three $50 Sam's Hope Foundation Awards are given each year, one each to a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade student at the Lincoln School. The teachers help the board select those students, said Kolve.

The organization holds a silent auction during the annual car show held at Lambkins every year, and the proceeds go to Sam's Hope. Lambkins sells hoodies, hats and koozies, and the money from those items also gets donated to Sam's Hope. Kolve said the support they've received throughout the years helps Sam's Hope benefit the community as much as it has.

"We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have donated throughout the years for helping our Sam's Hope be a great help to the community and for helping it be the good foundation we have become. We literally have people donating every day," said Kolve.

Currently, Sam's Hope is working on three fundraisers. Kolve said items are often donated, or an item will be purchased for raffle, and then once $1,000 have been raised on the item, the drawing is held. Tickets for a lawn mower and load of wood are available for $5 each at Lambkins.