APEX - Sharon DiSpirito dreams of taking her daughter Samantha places to taste life, such as a bluegrass concert or a trip to Rhode Island.

But Samantha, a 23-year-old blind quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, cannot travel far. Her manual wheelchair is held together with duct tape after more than 10 years of wear and tear, and the family van that transports her is 20 years old.

"At least duct tape has different colors," said Sharon DiSpirito, a single mother who is Samantha's sole caregiver.

"She really needs a new wheelchair to relieve the pressure off her back."

On Saturday, nearly 200 businesses in the Triangle supported a fundraiser so that Samantha DiSpirito could go to a live bluegrass concert in a new electric wheelchair and lift-equipped van before her birthday in July.

Sponsored by Capital City Bikers for Christ, the fundraiser included a silent auction and a raffle to give away a 10-day trip to Israel in 2012. Auction items included a five-day Caribbean cruise and autographed memorabilia from the Carolina Hurricanes, Duke Blue Devils, UNC Tar Heels and N.C. State Wolfpack.

The event raised $15,000 - pushing DiSpirito to more than $35,000.

It puts her more than half way toward her $60,000 goal, which would cover the cost of a new wheelchair and wheelchair-compatible van.

Although Samantha cannot speak, she wins people over with her joy, DiSpirito said.

"You can't get angry if you look at someone who is so happy," she said.

Much of Samantha's joy comes from music, such as country, Cajun, and worship music, her mother said. She listens to Garth Brooks' "Callin' Baton Rouge" every night; her favorite song is "Happy Birthday."