Thousands Participate
in GE 5K Supporting Petit Family Foundation
ByKristen Johnson
Updated at 12:05 PM EDT on Sunday, Jul 19, 2015
Close to 1,500 people lined up to run and walk in the GE 5K
road race supporting the Petit Family Foundation on Sunday.
Karen Patane had never raced
before, but she decided a year ago she wanted to train for this race.
ÒI really wanted this one. This was on my bucket list to
learn to run. The cause, itÕs wonderful. 5KÕs when you have a charity behind
them, they bring something special,Ó said Patane.
She started training a year ago. Sunday, she finally reached
her goal as she crossed the finish line. Patane doesnÕt
know the Petit family personally, but she knows their story.
ÒTheyÕve come through and made something wonderful out of a
horrible tragedy,Ó said Patane.
In 2007, Doctor William Petit lost his wife, Jennifer and
two daughters, Hayley and Michaela in a violent home invasion in Cheshire. The
following year, the inaugural race was held and itÕs been growing ever since.
ÒThe turnout and everything they do is just so wonderful for
the community,Ó Jan Campbell, of New Milford, said.
Race director Bob Hesline added,
ÒIt touches my heart every year to do this. ItÕs a personal thing.Ó
By the end of 2015, the Petit Family Foundation will have
raised $2 million for charity, half of that coming through the 5K race over the
past eight years. The rest was raised through the annual golf tournament.
ÒItÕs really been a team effort with the community and the
region reaching out to help other people,Ó Dr. Petit said.
He chose charities that were close to his family's heart.
The first is education for women in science, because his daughter Hayley wanted
to follow in her fatherÕs footsteps and become a doctor. Money is also donated
toward MS education, which his late wife suffered from. The final piece of the
foundation is money to support those affected by violence.
ÒObviously this was devastating violence and violence
affects many people with a ripple out to the communities, so we thought helping
people affected by violence was critical,Ó said Dr. Petit.
Dr. Petit hopes his family's legacy will live on as he turns
a personal tragedy into change.