Published: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 7:10 AM
EDT
Over 200 community members attended the event at
The girls’ father, Dr. William Petit, gifted the boats to the
school in his daughters’ and wife’s memory. Michaela and Hayley attended Chase,
and Hayley, who rowed at Miss Porter’s School, planned to row at
“As a
school we are proud to be gathered here today to celebrate the lives of
Michaela, Hayley and Jennifer,” said Chase’s Headmaster John Fixx in his speech,
thanking Dr. Petit.
“Chase will always cherish their lives and their
memories will endure at their school. Your active citizenship and unwavering
care is inspiring and heart bending.”
The boats — some of the most
sophisticated in the area for the high school circuit — have set the Chase
Rowing Team on a competitive path.
They will be distinct for that reason,
but will also stand out for the design created by Roxbury artist, William Cole,
who is also a high school friend and former rowing teammate of Chase’s coach,
Lincoln Turner.
Though Mr. Turner himself is an artist, he asked his
friend who “in a very short time” sent him a sketch of a heart on the deck of
three racing shells.
“It was perfect,” he said.
“When the bows of
all three boats are touching, the white lines on their decks form a heart. The
Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and the Hayley Elizabeth Petit surround the Michaela Rose,
whose own stripes connect and unify the heart design. It is a moving sight to
see.”
On the day of the christening, Mr. Turner also expressed his
gratitude to Dr. Petit for his generous gift to the team for many seasons to
come: “Dr. Petit, you have given us an extraordinary gift that has, quite
literally, transformed our team. We are, after all, a racing team whose goal is
to be competitive, to race and win.
“To be sure, your gift has helped us
achieve that goal, but the beauty of these boats lies not in the carbon fiber
and aluminum from which they are made; the beauty of your gift is that every
time these children lift them overhead and roll them gently into the water, they
remember and celebrate the lives of Michaela, Haley and
Jennifer.”
Chase’s crew team began in 2008, racing its first regatta in
2009, and it has grown in strength and ability since. Last year, the girls’ team
won the Lower Boat Regatta hosted by Rumsey Hall.
Three of Michaela’s
classmates are currently on the team: Alicia Payne, Robert Reinhardt and
Victoria Gilbert.
Senior Captains Julian Egan-Shuttler of Woodbury, Alysa
Longo of Wolcott, Jessica Cook of
“Having these boats is so
special because of what they represent, and who they represent,” said Ms. Longo,
on behalf of her team.
“We’re no longer racing for ourselves. Every time
we step into our boats, we’re rowing for Hayley, for Micheala and for Jennifer.
They are our motivation, and it’s an honor to be in these boats and to be a part
of this.”
Dr. Petit also addressed the crowd, telling of Hayley’s growth
as a rower from an alternate in the last boat to one of the best first boat
rowers. She went on to be recruited by
He also remembered Michaela
as a “friend to all,” and his wife, Jennifer, who was a nurse and someone
“always thinking about what might be best for the students at
Rev. Peggy Dibble Allen, a
1973 alumna of Chase and pastor, presided over the blessing.
Following
the christening, the team raced
Since the time of Michaela’s tragic passing, 377 donors in the
Chase community and across the nation have contributed over $91,000 to the
Michaela Rose Petit Scholarship Fund at Chase.
In closing, Coach Turner
turned to his team and said, “It is my wish for each of you that you honor and
celebrate the Petit family with every stroke you take,
and with every act of good will, sportsmanship and compassion you demonstrate to
your teammates and your competitors alike.
“And with that, his team took
to the water for the first race in their newly christened boat, the Michaela
Rose Petit, to race
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