Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Siblings design pop-up picnics to benefit diabetes research
Ava Ramsankar, 13, wanted to do something creative and fun to help raise awareness and funds for Type 1 diabetes after her brother Aidan, 12, was diagnosed with the disease three years ago.
The sister and brother, who live in Coral Springs, started a pop-up picnic business about seven months ago called “Sweet Sentiments” that donates a portion of its proceeds to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. Seeing their uncle set up a picnic for his girlfriend inspired the siblings to start Sweet Sentiments, Ava said.
“I thought it looked really cool and I always liked to be creative, so I wanted to do something where I could raise money and still have fun,” she said.
Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, is the most severe form of the disease, and about 5% of people who have diabetes have Type 1, according to DRIF, whose mission is to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes.
“To witness young entrepreneurs like Ava and Aidan create unique ways to fundraise in support of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation’s mission is both incredibly humbling and rewarding,” said Sean Kramer, CEO of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. “I am appreciative to all families that join our community in the fight for a cure. Their generosity and hope help fuel our team to keep going until the job is done.”
The picnics start at $185, which includes a table, themed décor, pillows, blankets, rugs setup and cleanup as well as bottles of water for two people. Add-ons include additional people, extra decorations and food, Ava said.
Sweet Sentiments can do any theme such as birthdays, anniversaries, date nights and beach themes and people can customize what they want, she said.
“They’ll tell us what color they want it or what they want it to look like or where they want it,” Ava said.
They’ve been setting up most of the picnics at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek in a spot near a bridge, water and tree, but they will go anywhere they have easy access to unload the items for setup, said Nadia Gansham, Ava and Aidan’s mother, who helps them.
Since November is Diabetes Awareness Month, Gansham said she thinks it’s “really important” to bring awareness to the disease.
“People don’t really understand the severity of diabetes… we wanted to do something that we can raise awareness and raise the funds and find a cure soon and have people understand what it all entails and what it’s all about,” she said.
Gansham and her children want to be the family newly diagnosed families can turn to if they need support.
“I want to be the family that can raise awareness and educate other people because when we were diagnosed it was so scary,” Gansham said. “Being released from the hospital and not knowing anything … we can make them feel more comfortable and let them know it is going to be OK.”
Visit instagram.com/sweet.sentiments_/ or email littlemisspicnicss@gmail.com.