Pahrump family-run Avery Project seeks help after medical emergency

Scott and Avery Sampson, the Pahrump couple behind The Avery Project, appealed to the community after a serious medical emergency affecting a family member left the household facing immediate financial hardship. The couple's nonprofit work has been a fixture in Nye County for years, most visibly through an annual Christmas Bikes for Kids program and other youth-focused efforts that rely on volunteer labor and local donations.

The medical crisis occurred January 16 and has imposed high medical bills and reduced the family's capacity to run programs that serve local children. The Sampsons have asked residents and organizations to step forward with donations and practical support so The Avery Project can continue scheduled outreach while the family copes with recovery and expenses.

The Avery Project grew from a backyard initiative into a community resource centered on getting kids on bicycles, providing mentorship, and hosting youth workshops. Residents, school staff, and faith groups have depended on the program each holiday season to deliver refurbished bikes and safety gear to families who otherwise could not afford them. That grassroots model depends heavily on Scott and Avery's time, donated parts, and a narrow operating budget, making the organization vulnerable when its founders encounter personal emergencies.

The immediate impact for local families is twofold: potential disruption of planned youth activities and an urgent need to cover medical and household costs for the Sampson family. For volunteers and partner groups, the situation highlights how tightly woven community services can be and how quickly a single emergency can ripple across programs that lack formal contingency funding or designated leadership backups.

Local institutions and civic actors can respond in several ways. Churches, service clubs, small businesses, and individuals can provide monetary gifts, in-kind donations such as bicycle parts and helmets, or volunteer hours to help sustain upcoming events. Residents who want to assist should contact The Avery Project directly to learn current donation channels and drop-off arrangements. Organizers say they are coordinating short-term needs while evaluating longer-term plans to keep programs running.

The Sampsons' appeal underscores broader governance and policy questions for Nye County: how to support volunteer-run nonprofits during sudden crises, the role of small grants or emergency relief funds, and the need for succession planning for vital community programs. For now, maintaining continuity for children who benefit from the Avery Project falls to neighbors and local institutions ready to mobilize.

What comes next will be determined by community response. Immediate contributions and volunteer help can keep Bikes for Kids and other youth offerings on schedule while the family recovers. For residents, this is a chance to protect a homegrown program that has become part of Pahrump's civic fabric and to reinforce local systems that step in when families who serve the public find themselves in need.