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FontAmid a scene of commotion, 12-year-old Ashley Dunnam sat at a table outside Station Eats on a balmy Saturday afternoon eating a veggie burger named in her honor: The Ashley Burger.
Ashley, a type 1 diabetic, and her mother, Andrea Dunnam, created Ashley's Army, a fundraising team that donates money to the American Diabetes Association. Station Eats agreed to create the Ashley Burger and donate 20 percent of gross sales of the burger to Ashley's Army during September.
August 1 was the launch party for the fundraiser. Station Eats was packed with people -- at one point with a line out the door -- supporting the cause and enjoying some tasty food.
Ashley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (previously called juvenile diabetes) four years ago, when an annual checkup at the doctor revealed abnormally high blood sugar.
"We were told to go straight to the hospital after the checkup," Andrea remembered.
Since then, Ashley and her mother have become a force for eradicating the disease.
Each year, the pair have participated in the ADA's annual fundraising walk, Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes. For the walk, the mother and daughter created the fundraising team Ashley's Army, which collects money from donors and donates it to the ADA each year at the event.
Ashley shared the importance of raising money.
"Because I don't want to have diabetes," she said.
At 12, Ashley already is a seasoned fundraiser. She is the Fairfield County Youth Ambassador for the ADA.
In this capacity, she has raised more than $100,000 for the organization, which supports research, information and advocacy on diabetes.
Andrea is the manager of the ADA's fundraising and special events in Fairfield County.
Aside from the walk, for the past three years the Mobil gas station on South Avenue has hosted a fundraiser in support of Ashley, donating four cents per gallon of gasoline to Ashley's Army one day each fall.
Ashley's fundraising has extended even to birthday gifts. When she turned 9, she asked that people donate money to the ADA instead of buying presents for her.
So how disappointing was a birthday with no presents for the 9-year-old?
"I didn't really mind because it still felt like getting a present," she said.
In an act of solidarity and compassion, Claire Leville, one of Ashley's closest friends, also asked for donations to the ADA in lieu of presents for her ninth birthday.
"It wasn't any different from a normal birthday. I'd rather get money for something good than stuff I wouldn't really use anyway," 12-year-old Leville said.
The fundraiser at the Mobil station across the street is where Station Eats owner Nicholas Type first heard about Ashley. Shortly thereafter, he got involved, first as a sponsor for Ashley's Army in the Step Out walk fundraiser, and now, directly with Ashley's Army.
"We have had a relationship with Ashley for some time. We participated in the ADA walk with Ashley's Army," Type said.
Conversations with Ashley and Andrea led to the idea of a fundraiser at Station Eats, over which Ashley had creative control, according to Type.
"This truly was her idea. I gave her options about what to do and she made the decisions," Type said, referring to the Ashley Burger, which is a black bean veggie burger with guacamole, corn salsa.
Type said the amount being donated comes to about $1.50 per burger, which are on sale at the New Canaan and Stamford locations.
The Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes is scheduled for Oct. 6 at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford.
twoods@bcnnew.com; 203-972-4413; @Woods_NCNews
