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