Two year old Evan Samata was struck and killed by a car on June 19, 1992. On Thursday, he was the inspiration behind a neighborhood clean-up in Austin hosted by ‘By The Hand Club For Kids.’

“It’s helped me become a better person and it’s preparing me for college,” said 16-year-old Casaundra Williams in an interview with FOX 32’s Tisha Lewis. “They give us tutors if we need help with our homework and stuff.”

Evan Samata’s parents donated $500,000 to By The Hand Club For Kids.

“’By The Hand Club was the obvious choice because of the communities they serve, the children they serve, their mission and the great work that they’re doing,” said Greg Samata, Evan’s father.

“Because of their story and how they dealt with that tragedy, we asked our kids, ‘What would you like to do for your neighborhood? How would you like to help others,’ and so our kids were inspired to do a service project, it’s called Do It For The Block and it’s a clean-up project here in the neighborhood. They’re honoring Evan and the service that Evan’s life has done to children all over the nation,” said Donnita Travis, founder and executive director of By The Hand Club For Kids.

The young people in By The Hand Club hand-painted nine waste barrels for the blocks surrounding the organization’s 26,000 square foot facility in Austin.

“Education is so often the key and that’s a big part of what By The Hand Club is trying to do, educate these children and help them really achieve the dreams that they might have and give them the opportunity to understand that they do have dreams,” said Pat Samata, Evan’s mother.

For full article, click here.