LISA:
Thank you Mike, and congratulations to
all of our award recipients. Well deserved.
I will now be presenting an award on
behalf of my friend Dr. Bill Petit. Bill’s daughters Hayley and Michaela were
relentless in their efforts to raise awareness and funds. After their mother was
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Hayley formed a Walk MS team, Hayley’s Hope,
and in 2007, as Hayley prepared to attend Dartmouth College, Michaela was about
to launch her own Walk MS team, Michaela’s Miracle. To honor their memory and
the mark they made against MS, the Petit MS Youth Award was established four
years ago. The award is presented each year to a young person in our community
who compels others to engage and raises awareness and funds to fight
MS.
Cameron Gregory, a third-grader at Webster Hill School
in West Hartford exemplifies everything we want to recognize with this award.
Cameron’s mother Heidi works for the Connecticut Chapter as an executive
assistant and often brings young Cameron along to chapter events. But Cameron
isn’t one to sit on the sidelines and watch, he gets
involved.
In 2010, a then 6-year-old Cameron
formed his own Walk MS team, The MS Super Kids, in honor of his friend Brandon
Roy’s mother, who has MS. At last year’s walk, Cameron dyed his hair orange and
he and Brandon wore orange capes. In two years, Cameron’s team has raised more
than $2,700.
On Wednesday March 14th and again the
following Wednesday the 21st, Cameron will host fundraisers for the MS Super
Kids at California Pizza Kitchen at the West Farms Mall in Farmington. Be sure
to grab a flyer on your way out today and have a meal to support Cameron’s
efforts.
As if this all weren’t enough, Cameron
also takes pride in doing yard work for one of our members who has MS, and he
will be at the State Capitol in Hartford at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to help place the
6,000 orange awareness flags of hope for our MS Action
Day.
For all of his hard work, determination
and fervor, I am proud to honor Cameron
Gregory with the HAYLEY AND MICHAELA
PETIT MS YOUTH AWARD