Forster couple Nikki and Steve Nelson's 10-year-old son Sam died suddenly in 2017 from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, an undiagnosed heart condition.

The charity they created in the aftermath was their attempt to keep his name alive.

"Sam was just a beautiful kid," Mrs Nelson said.

"He was always there for the underdogs and never had a bad word to say about anybody."

With these qualities at heart, Mrs Nelson and her husband sought to use their son's most loved past-times as a way to make a difference in the lives of children in the area.

With intensive swimming programs for primary school kids who can't swim, individual guitar lessons for children with varying levels of emotional needs, a Confident Kids program with Forster MMA instructor Col Osborn, intensive school soccer programs and soccer academy scholarships, among other things, they've achieved a lot in a short time.

"It's amazing what they're doing," Mr Osborn said.

"I tell them all the time, 'I can't fathom what you're doing.'"

Add in the fact the programs they fund are offered in primary schools all around the Great Lakes, and the achievements seem even more remarkable.

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Forster Public School, where Sam went to school, has been one of the benefactors from the beginning, and teacher Paula Drew said the impact the programs have had has been huge.

"We have kids who can now swim - kids who couldn't acknowledge water now jumping in and going for a swim," she said, citing just one example of the benefits she'd seen.

"At the end of the soccer lessons we all put our hands together and shout Sam's name.

"It brings it back to that grounding and why we have the opportunity.

"It's for the kids and our kids benefit and Sam's memory lives on and that's why we continue to be involved."

Mrs Nelson admits her and her husband are extremely proud of what they've been able to achieve with the charity - and thanks to the help of their many supporters - but in some ways championing it can be a double-edged sword.

"It's emotionally exhausting telling your story over and over again," she said.

"But it's amazing because it's keeping his name alive. We wouldn't have it any other way."

The charity's latest endeavour will see them hold their second annual trivia night at Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club on Saturday, June 15.

With the inaugural event raising over $25,000 last year, all of which went into funding the programs they offer, the response from the community was once again expected to be strong.

"It was a fantastic night," Mrs Nelson said.

"It was lots of fun."

For more information about the event, click here.

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