Ashlie's Embrace

Giving the Gift of Time, When Every Moment Matters

Horsepower Meets Heart: Northeastern Ohio Mustang Club Gives Back

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What began as a friendship and a shared love of Mustangs has grown into years of support for Ashlie’s Embrace.

A friendship between Ashlie’s Embrace co-founder, Tony Maroon and former Northeastern Ohio Mustang Club president Sonny Reese eventually led to Tony’s involvement with the club. After learning about the loss of Tony and Erin’s daughter, Ashlie, club members wanted to find a way to support their family and the mission created in her memory.

Parking lot full of parked cars at one of Northeastern Ohio Mustang Club's car shows supporting Ashlie's Embrace.

That connection has continued to grow over the years, with more club members becoming friends and supporters of our mission.

This August, the club hosted its 36th Annual All Mustang Show in Tallmadge, Ohio, once again selecting Ashlie’s Embrace as a beneficiary. Thanks to their efforts, $3,000 was raised in support of our mission!

And their generosity reaches well beyond Ohio. In 2025, the club’s support helped fund a CuddleCot placement at Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Texas, giving families experiencing stillbirth and infant loss more time with their babies.

Staff from Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Texas pose for a photo with the CuddleCot donated to them with funding from the NEO Mustang Club.

We’re especially grateful to current club president Karen Kropp, who continues to support our mission and joined us at this year’s FriendRaiser Gala.

Founded in 1981, the Northeastern Ohio Mustang Club brings together more than 100 members who share an appreciation for Mustang vehicles. Through their annual show, they’re also demonstrating how a shared passion can become an opportunity to help others.

Your Community Can Make a Difference, Too!

The Mustang Club is a great example of a Community-Led Fundraiser—an event organized by individuals, businesses, or community groups with proceeds benefiting Ashlie’s Embrace.

Whether it’s a car show, golf outing, restaurant night, or something entirely different, you can turn an activity you enjoy into support for families facing pregnancy and infant loss.

You bring the idea and the people. We’ll help you connect it to our mission. For more information contact us at info@ashliesembrace.org.

To Karen, Sonny, and the entire Northeastern Ohio Mustang Club, thank you for the friendships, generosity, and continued support you’ve shared with our family and mission.

Learn more about the club at neomustang.com or visit their Facebook group.

CuddleCot Donation to Outer Banks Health Hospital

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CuddleCot Donation to Outer Banks Health Hospital Honors Family Legacy and Stillbirth Awareness

Gift will provide Labor & Delivery nurses with a compassionate care resource for families facing stillbirth and infant loss

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2026

CuddleCot Donation Outer Banks Hospital - Group photo of Ashlie's Embrace team and Outer Banks Health Hospital staff.

Pictured: CuddleCot dedication at Outer Banks Health Hospital on July 8, 2026. Ashlie’s Embrace founders, Erin & Tony Maroon, surrounded by friends, family, and members of the Outer Banks Health Hospital healthcare team.

NAGS HEAD, N.C. — July 15, 2026 — Outer Banks Health Hospital received a CuddleCot on Wednesday, July 8, during a dedication ceremony with members of the hospital’s care team and the family behind the donation.

A CuddleCot is a bereavement cooling device used in hospitals after the loss of a baby. The device gives families the option of spending more time with their baby while creating memories, welcoming loved ones, taking photos, holding their child, and saying goodbye at a pace that feels less rushed.

The CuddleCot was donated personally by Ashlie’s Embrace founders Erin and Tony Maroon, along with members of both the Maroon and Hopkins families. The gift is being made in loving memory of Erin’s father, Rick Hopkins, and Rick’s first grandchild, Ashlie Cathren Maroon, who was stillborn at 41 weeks on October 28, 2015.

For Labor & Delivery teams, a CuddleCot provides an important resource for compassionate bereavement care, allowing nurses to offer families more time, more choice, and a gentler space for memory-making during one of the most devastating moments of their lives. Research has shown that parents deeply value this additional time, often sharing that it helps ease the pain of separation, gives them a sense of control in an otherwise overwhelming moment, and allows them to create meaningful memories and keepsakes that help them hold onto their connection with their child.

“This gift is deeply personal for our family,” said Erin Maroon, co-founder of Ashlie’s Embrace. “After my dad passed away, our family received donations to place a CuddleCot in his memory. When it came time to choose a hospital, I kept thinking about where this gift would feel connected to him. The Outer Banks held so many treasured family memories for us, and it was one of my dad’s favorite places. To know this CuddleCot will now serve families here, in memory of both my dad and Ashlie, is incredibly special to us.”

Rick Hopkins passed away in August 2019. At his memorial service, guests were given seashells as a tribute to his love of the ocean and the many memories his family shared near the water.

Outer Banks Health Hospital, located in Nags Head, serves families across the coastal community, including both year-round residents and seasonal visitors. The addition of a CuddleCot gives the hospital’s Labor & Delivery team another way to support families facing the heartbreak of stillbirth and infant loss.

PRESS CONTACT:

Danielle Honeycutt
Director of Marketing & Development
P: 704-886-8966
E: danielle@ashliesembrace.org

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ASHLIE’S EMBRACE AWARDED $1.25 MILLION GRANT FROM ADAM R. SCRIPPS FOUNDATION TO SCALE OPERATIONS AND EXPAND IMPACT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2025

ASHLIE’S EMBRACE AWARDED $1.25 MILLION GRANT FROM ADAM R. SCRIPPS FOUNDATION TO SCALE OPERATIONS AND EXPAND IMPACT


North Canton, OH – Ashlie’s Embrace, a nonprofit dedicated to providing CuddleCotsTM to hospitals nationwide, has been awarded a transformative $1.25M grant from the Adam R. Scripps Foundation. This generous multi-year donation will empower the organization to scale its operations, enhance technological and system efficiencies, and strengthen support for grieving families.

“This grant represents a pivotal moment for Ashlie’s Embrace,” said Erin Maroon, Co-Founder and President of Ashlie’s Embrace. “It allows us to build a stronger foundation by hiring much needed staff, upgrading systems, and improving our ability to support families experiencing stillbirth and infant loss. It also positions us for long-term sustainability and greater impact by strengthening our ability to fundraise and expand our reach.”

Since its founding, Ashlie’s Embrace has worked tirelessly to ensure that bereaved families have the time they need to say goodbye to their babies. Inspired by the full-term stillbirth of their daughter Ashlie Cathren in October 2015, the Maroon family turned their heartbreak into a mission, placing more than 350 CuddleCotsTM nationwide. These specially designed cooling bassinets allow families to spend precious, uninterrupted moments with their babies after loss, providing comfort during an unimaginable time.

Established in honor of Adam Scripps’ legacy of humble generosity, the Adam R. Scripps Foundation is dedicated to creating meaningful change through transformative opportunities. The organization’s commitment to sustainable growth and community support aligns with the mission of Ashlie’s Embrace, making this gift a natural partnership to strengthen nonprofit infrastructure and expand essential services.

The Adam R. Scripps Foundation’s support underscores the importance of Ashlie’s Embrace’s mission and the need for long-term infrastructure to sustain and expand its life-changing work. However, the organization emphasizes that continued community support remains essential.
“Every donation, every fundraiser, and every act of generosity from our community ensures that more hospitals receive CuddleCotsTM and more families find solace in their darkest moments,” Maroon said.

Ashlie’s Embrace invites individuals, businesses, and organizations to join in their mission. To learn more, get involved, or support their work, please visit www.ashliesembrace.org.

Media Contact:
Erin Maroon
info@ashliesembrace.org
(330) 418-4851

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Ashlie’s Embrace
1967 E. Maple St. Suite 186
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 418-4851
info@ashliesembrace.org

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