YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A familiar family name in the racing scene is trying to spread awareness after a tragedy nine years ago.
Once a year on a special Saturday, the Stambaughs honor one of their own in Ashlyn's Soup Boil. The ninth annual event was held in York County on Saturday and raises money for the community while also spreading awareness on the dangers of texting and driving. Ashlyn Stambaugh died in a tragic texting and driving crash in 2015.
"This is how to remember her," said Ashlyn's father, Scott Stambaugh. "If we can save one person from losing their life, you know, then we've done something worthwhile. You never think it could happen to you."
Racing fans may recognize the Stambaugh name from former sprint car driver Steve Stambaugh. During his racing days, you would have surely seen him and his family at the track on Saturdays, but on this weekend, the family hosts over a hundred people for the event. Of course, the main attraction is the soup that is prepared a week in advance; this year, they served a chicken corn variety. However, the event is much bigger than that. They have raffles, guest speakers and much more, all in Ashlyn's name. This year, they raised nearly $11,000 and donated the proceeds to a variety of local organizations.
For the Stambaughs, it's an event that comes down to three key things: remembering, raising awareness and having fun just as Ashlyn would have.
"We want to make sure that Ashlyn's name is never forgotten," said Dave Stambaugh, Ashlyn's uncle. "We want to shed light on texting and driving, and then the third thing is to get together and have fun, because that's what Ashlyn was all about."
It took the strong bond of the Stambaugh family to turn tragedy into something that makes a positive impact each year. It first started as a scholarship fund that was created in Ashlyn's name to support Spring Grove schools. Nine years later, with a bandstand built with trees on the family farm and a soup shack crafted by hand, all by the Stambaughs, it has become an annual event that dozens of people have marked on their calendar each year.
"I think of her every day, and for my family and friends to remember and think of her, that means a lot to me," said Scott. "Every year, I'm just overwhelmed how much bigger this gets, and it's just a neat thing."
"We weren't sure how it was gonna affect us, but this is the way who we are, this is what we do. We all just stuck together," said former sprint car driver and Ashlyn's uncle, Steve Stambaugh. "They were always there to help out on the car. They've been with me throughout my whole career. And as far as with Scott, the tragedy there, we didn't think about it. We just knew we were going to be there for him."
It's a family bond that has strengthened over the years and one that is hard for the mother of five, Ashlyn's grandmother Dot Stambaugh, to not be proud of.
"I couldn't be prouder on a scale of one to 10, 10, we're very fortunate, that we have a family like this," said Dot. "We'll always have Ashlyn as part of our family."
Now, after its 9th year, it’s support that’s grown for Ashlyn that has extended well past just the Stambaugh family.
"We'll never get over it, but we are always grateful for anything anybody does for Ashlyn and remembers her in any way," said Dot. "It means a lot."
For more information on how to make a contribution to Ashlyn's Soup Boil efforts, visit their Facebook event page.