Foundations to Honor the Petit Family

Nov. 19, 2007 — -- Last week William Petit handed out the first Hayley and Michaela Petit Multiple Sclerosis Youth Award, in honor of his daughters.

Their mother had suffered from MS and the girls were very involved in the fight against the disease — it's a fight their dad is now continuing in their memory.

Jennifer Hawke-Petit and daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, were killed in a home invasion July 23. Petit escaped during the attack.

When she was 11, Hayley started her own fund, Hayley's Hope, for the Multiple Sclerosis Society after her mother was diagnosed with the disease. She began by organizing a team for an annual MS walk-a-thon and raised $55,000 over eight years.

Hayley was helping her sister organize her own charitable fund called Michaela's Miracle.

Other foundations have been set up in honor of Jennifer, Haley and Michaela to benefit the causes they were passionate about. Get more about those organizations below.

Hayley's Hope or Michaela's Miracle
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Greater CT Chapter
659 Tower Ave., 1st Floor
Hartford, CT 06112
Web site: www.ctfightsms.org

Precious Petit Foundation
c/o Cheshire United Methodist Church
205 Academy Rd.
Cheshire, CT 06410
Web site: www.gbgm-umc.org/cheshireumc

The Petit Family Foundation
Farmington Savings Bank
32 Main St.
Farmington, CT 06032

Jennifer Hawke-Petit Scholarship at Cheshire Academy
10 Main St.
Cheshire, CT 06410

Hayley Petit Scholarship
at Miss Porter's School
60 Main St.
Farmington, CT 06032

Michaela Petit Scholarship
at Chase Collegiate School
565 Chase Parkway
Waterbury, CT 06708