What Is Gas4Katie?
The Gas4Katie Cancer Foundation started when Ashley was just 11 years old. She wanted to help her neighbor, Katie Hawley, when she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Cancer and had to travel a far distance for treatments. At that time, gas was VERY expensive. Ashley decided to empty a large plastic pretzel jar and with the supervision of a parent, carried it door-to-door, asking for donations from anyone willing to help. Ashley and a parent also approached a few local gas stations to ask if they would consider matching her efforts. The local Chevron agreed, and so Ashley immediately used all of the donations that she had collected to buy a Chevron gas gift card. Ashley then gave that gift card to the Hawley family.
The Las Flores Chevron also suggested a partnership involving their Car Wash, and their Annual Car Show. Ashley was joined by hundreds of people, wanting to help the Hawley Family. She witnessed much kindness, despite the negativity of cancer.
Since that spring of 2013, Ashley has continued to expand her efforts and can proudly say that she successfully started her own company! The Gas4Katie Cancer Foundation has raised over $75,000 since that very first day going door-to-door with a pretzel jar. Now, instead of gas cards, the Foundation is raising money for the families’ personal uses (medical bills, mortgages, food on the table, etc.) to help ease the burden of cancer on these families’ lives in whatever manner they feel is best. Since 2015, Ashley has run her own annual Gas4Katie Golf Ball Drop fundraiser to benefit multiple families all throughout Southern California. She developed partnerships with companies including the Aliso Viejo Country Club, Accelraise, NEGU, the Orange County Hockey Club, and the San Diego Saints. These business partnerships have played an integral role in allowing Ashley to expand her Foundation beyond her wildest dreams
Fortunately, Katie Hawley has fought off cancer four times and is now off to college! Ashley continues in Katie’s honor, desiring to help even more local families of children who are battling pediatric cancer to try and make their lives, and the lives of their family members, just a little bit easier.