The Mission Of Samantha's Friends, a non-profit organization, is to help young people challenged by a catastrophic illness gain their independence with the assistance of a service canine.

 

Eddie Perley, a Wall Street businessman, founded Samantha's Friends in 1996 as a fundraiser for Samantha Bozza who suffered a brain aneurysm caused by an arteriorvenus malformation when she was only 15 years old. After a close encounter with death and many years of rehabilitation, Samantha reaches out to help and inspire individuals in all walks of life with her kind, generous, enthusiastic spirit.

 

Samantha, a Graduate of MCC, is employed by Curves for Women as an aestitician but her true passion is her foundation "Samantha's Friends" created in her honor. In June 2004, inside a full house at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida, Samantha was honored as the very first recipient of the "Woman of Achievement Award" This award was presented to her by Mary Sullivan, Executive Director of the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant, and Shauna Pender, Miss Florida 2003. Samantha was recently named "Woman of Excellence" for 2005 -2006. Where a speech was made honoring Samantha for all her hard work and her help with others.