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"It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," Connor Armstrong said Wednesday at a barbecue held at the Westport headquarters of Gault Energy. The company and its employees made the trip possible by donating the needed funds.
Connor has life-threatening acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He and his family traveled to the Atlantis Resorts in the Bahamas through the Make-A-Wish program.
Gault Energy and its employees wanted to participate in the Make-A-Wish program and raised the $10,000 necessary to fund a child's wish. The money came from donations by the company's employees, the company, customers and vendors, company President Sam Gault said. The company, the oldest in Westport, serves all of Fairfield County.
"It is really part of our company's mission to give back to the communities we serve," Gault said.
Connor's mother, Melanie, said the March trip was a relaxing one for the family. They could put aside day-to-day concerns and just spend time together as a family.
"It was so fabulous, a total break from reality and it was so much fun," she said.
For Connor, it provided a welcome relief from visits to doctors and clinics, Melanie said.
"I think it was just a chance to really celebrate with family, get away from clinics, get away from running to the doctor even thinking about the doctor, so it was huge."
Kim Smith, development director at Make-A-Wish Connecticut, said the organization helped 185 families in the state last year, and this year more than 200 are expected to be involved in the program.
The average cost of each wish is about $10,000, she said.
She praised Gault Energy and its employees for their efforts.
"We are truly thankful for the many ways they have helped us to share the wish."
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