Fairhaven Boy Raises $1,000 for Local Animal Shelter Through Successful Lemonade Stand

While some kids like to set up lemonade stands to fill up their piggy banks, 10-year-old Ashton Conlon of Dartmouth likes to donate every single penny he earns to his favorite animal shelter.

For the past five years, Ashton, formerly of Fairhaven, has set up shop to raise money for the Fairhaven Animal Shelter, and this year was his most successful year yet, collecting an impressive total of $1,000.

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Ashton loves animals and comes from a family that loves animals, too. Ashton’s parents, Rick and Tammy Galligo, like to adopt senior dogs, and most recently, they adopted a sweet, 11-year-old chihuahua named Churro after hearing about him on Fun 107's Wet Nose Wednesday segment.

Ashton doesn’t have the funds to adopt his own dogs, but he did have the drive to make a difference in his own way.

“He always wanted to do a lemonade stand,” Ashton’s mother Tammy said. “My father-in-law built that for him, painted it and he would use it here and there.”

Ashton’s lemonade stand was special. His lemonade stand had the sole purpose every year of raising money for the animals at Fairhaven Animal Shelter, and at the young age of 5, it was clear that he had a big heart and a different mindset than most kids.

“For his first year, he raised about $239,” Galligo said. “Last year, we donated a little over $700, and we were shocked this year to raise $1,000.”

Ashton’s lemonade stand was successful on its own, but when he began setting up his “small business” at his family party every year, the donations came pouring in.

“I think it’s just so awesome,” Galligo said of her son’s efforts. “I love it. It makes me so proud.”

Next year, Ashton aims to raise $1,100 for the shelter.

Recently, the family moved from Fairhaven to Dartmouth, so let’s wait and see if Ashton’s incredible efforts expand to his new neighborhood.