Cameron
Gregory's award is recognition of his work with the Connecticut Chapter of the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
A
Cameron
Gregory, a third-grade student at Webster
Hill, has been named this year's recipient of the "Hayley & Michaela
Petit MS Youth Award" from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut
Chapter.
Dr.
William Petit Jr., along with Lisa Gerrol, president of the Connecticut Chapter
of the National MS Society, presented Cameron with the
award.
"My
mom started working for the chapter in 2009 and I did my first walk in 2010,"
Cameron said when asked how he got involved with the MS Society. Cameron's
mother, Heidi Wiegel, was also on hand when he received the award. Cameron first
became aware of the disease because one of his mother's friends has
it.
"There
are benefits that come with every job, but what Cameron is doing and learning –
that has been the biggest benefit of this job," said
Wiegel.
In
addition to participating in the annual MS Walk, Cameron has also been involved
with other fundraising efforts and has directly assisted individuals with MS. He
recently spent three days leveling the ground in the backyard of an Elmwood
resident who has MS and relies on a scooter to get around. Cameron's work
enabled the man to access all parts of his backyard with the
scooter.
Cameron
already says he wants to work for the MS Society when he is an
adult.
Cameron
will be leading his "MS Superkids" team in
Cameron
is the fourth recipient of the Hayley & Michaela Petit MS Youth Award which
was established to honor the memory of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, who had MS, and her
daughters Hayley and Michaela. It is presented annually to a young person in the
community who has made a significant impact on raising funds and/or awareness to
fight MS. Cameron is the youngest-ever recipient of the
award.
Petit
said that his daughter Hayley had raised more than $55,000 for the Multiple
Sclerosis Society over an eight-year period, and Michaela had been planning to
take over her efforts.
The
Petit family has also established the "Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle MS
Memorial Fund" which continues the work started by Hayley and Michaela Petit
assisting
For
more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut
Chapter, visit theirwebsite.
http://avon.patch.com/articles/west-hartford-student-receives-petit-ms-youth-award#c