New Haven, CT

The Petit Family Foundation began as members of the Country Club in Farmington, Connecticut thought of ways to help the Petit family in dealing with the senseless and brutal murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit, and Michaela Rose Petit. Dr. William A. Petit, Jr. survived being beaten with a baseball bat and left for dead. As the result of the immediate outpouring from the community, scholarships were set up at the three schools associated with the Petit women, as well as a restricted, endowed fund at the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, HAYLEY’S HOPE and MICHAELA’S MIRACLE MEMORIAL FUND.

It was felt that one fund could help streamline the donations that were pouring in and allow the family to direct those funds to causes that they felt would best represent the interests of the Petit women. Appropriate papers were filed and by March 14, 2008, the Petit Family Foundation reached full 501c(3) status.

The mission of this Foundation is to foster the education of young people, especially those in the sciences, to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses, and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence. The Foundation honors the memories of the Petit women by continuing the kindness, idealism, and activism that defined their lives.

Recent grants and foundation funds have been used to support the Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain, Connecticut, which offers comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence; the 1st Annual Petit Women “Be the Change” Community Service Awards, which recognize students at Plainville High School in grades 9-12 who are in good academic standing and show a dedication to community service; academic scholarships to National Honor Society students through the Plainville Rotary Club; and the Jennifer Hawke-Petit Scholarship Award, which is given in loving memory of Jen, an educator at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. The Jennifer Hawke-Petit Scholarship Award is given to a senior who embodies the admirable personal characteristics that Jen exemplified: kindness, integrity, compassion, and idealism.