When Maria Faucher and her father, Art Kean, aren't tending Kean's Korner Mobil, they're helping raise funds for charity.

Photo Credit: Joseph Cole

Art Kean has been the man behind the counter at Kean's Korner Mobil for 38 years.

Photo Credit: Joseph Cole

Arthur Kean and his daughter, Maria Faucher, believe in giving back to the community that supports their business, Kean’s Korner Mobile at 16 South Ave., New Canaan. So when the call went out to help a local girl in her fight against diabetes, they didn’t just participate, they raised an army.

“Ashley’s Army” to be exact. As a team, they wear camouflage and join in the annual American Diabetes Association walk in New Canaan in support of 10-year-old Ashley Dunnam. “What we do is the months before the walk we pick one day a month and give 4 cents per gallon pumped to the American Diabetes Association,” said Faucher. Ashley loves the military camouflage and team concept, according to Faucher. Kean and his daughter indulged the theme when they brought professional wrestler Sgt. Slaughter to Kean's Korner last year to help raise funds.

Year round, they leave a donation can on the counter for Ashley. Although she is the station’s primary beneficiary, Maria said they also donate to other local groups when they can. Kean said he would like to donate more, but there isn’t enough to go around, “Every year they always come to me to help, the school system and stuff, but I just can’t help everybody,” he said.

Kean has been running the mobile station for 38 years. Posted up along the ceiling through the entire convenience store and above the registers is a gallery of autographed pictures of sports stars, broadcast personalities and actors. When he isn’t greeting customers with a “Hey Buddy,” Kean is happy to stroll through the store pointing to pictures and relating the story behind each one.

He has become popular enough in New Canaan for his friendly-yet-blunt personality that Kean said he has been asked to run for selectman even though he lives in Norwalk. According to Faucher, he’s in the store almost every day from open to close. New Canaan is his community. “You always give back to the community, you don’t go crazy but you give what you can,” Kean said.

How do you support local organizations?