Whiz Kid: Steven J. Petillo

Ed. Note: Today for Whiz Kid, Patch would like to honor the memory of Steven Joseph Petillo, who passed away August 16, 2010, in a car accident while on a family vacation.

Nothing we write will come close to making up for the loss of Steven Petillo. Our only hope is that the family and friends he's left behind, who are still struggling to make sense of the terrible tragedy which took his life, can one day find the closure they need.

Those who wish to share their memories of Steven Petillo are invited to do so in the comments section down below.

Steven Petillo was just nine-years-old when a horrible auto accident caused by a reckless driver who crashed into his family's van claimed his life.

But rather than shutting down and closing themselves off to the world, the Petillo family formed the Steven J. Petillo Field of Dreams Foundation, which today raises money to benefit local little leagues in Queens.

"Steven loved baseball and helping kids and we wanted to honor his memory by doing something that combined his two passions," said Michael Petillo, Steven's father.

This past season, the Field of Dreams Foundation helped sponsor local children who couldn't afford to play little league, purchased new equipment for little leagues around Queens, and helped support the Glen Oaks challenger divisions for mentally and physically challenged children. 

"We just felt that every child has a right to play baseball, regardless of their family's financial situation or their physical and mental ability. It's what Steven would have wanted," Petillo said. 

To date, the Steven J. Petillo Foundation has raised over $5,000 dollars for this cause and remains driven to provided access to a sport that Steven loved dearly, to all those who wish to play.

"Baseball was his life and we wanted to share it with everyone," he said.

For information on the Steven J. Petillo Field of Dreams Foundation find them on Facebook right here.