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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Century-Old Family Farm Offers An "A-maize-ing" Maze To Pay Tribute CHESHIRE, Conn. Established almost a century ago and located in Cheshire, Conn., family-run Zentek Farms still specializes in wholesale and retail vegetables and flowers. This year, Zentek Farms will hold its first annual corn maize maze through a partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Connecticut Chapter. The event will honor the memory of neighbors Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Hayley and Michaela. "The Petit women did so much to raise awareness and funds in an effort to find a cure for multiple sclerosis," said Donna Brigid Zentek of Zentek Farms. "Mrs. Petit was a customer at our farm stand for many years. Our maze event is just one way we can remember them and continue their work." More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, as did Jennifer Hawke-Petit, live with the effects of multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms can vary, from fatigue, changes in vision, stiffness, numbness and tingling and difficulties in speech to, in some cases, paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted. Funds raised through events, such as the Zentek Farms Corn Maze, ensure ongoing scientific research to find a cure and provide for the continuation of vital programs and services offered by the chapter to those in the state living with MS. In July, the Petit family established a locally restricted National MS Society memorial fund, Hayley's Hope & Michaela's Miracle Memorial Fund, to continue the work of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Hayley and Michaela Petit. When Jennifer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Hayley stepped up and captained the MS Walk Team Hayley’s Hope. Hayley had been named as a top fundraiser multiple years, raising more than $54,000 over eight years. In June, Hayley was recognized for her extraordinary achievements at the Women Against MS (WAMS) Luncheon. Hayley had planned to attend Dartmouth College in the fall, and Michaela was already preparing to step into her big sister's shoes to head up her own MS Walk team, Michaela's Miracle. The Zentek Farms corn maze event will be held each weekend throughout September and every day beginning Monday, Oct. 1, through Wednesday, Oct. 31. The maze opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for kids and children under the age of four are free. Ten percent of the admission proceeds benefit the Hayley's Hope & Michaela's Miracle Memorial Fund. For more information, please contact Nicole Marohn, associate vice president of development, at (860) 714.2300, ext. 244, or e-mail nmarohn@ctfightsMS.org. To learn more about Zentek Farms, call Donna at (203) 272-0444 or visit www.zentekfarms.com. 8/29/07 NOTE TO MEDIA: |
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