CHESHIRE, Conn. -- Nearly a year after a deadly home invasion in Cheshire outraged the state and made national headlines, the lone survivor talked with Eyewitness News about how he is keeping his family's memory alive.

Dr. William Petit gave a heartfelt "thank you" to more than 200 people that spent Monday afternoon and evening at the second annual Petit Family Foundation Golf Tournament.

"I would just say to people thank you for what you've done for the Petit Family Foundation," Petit said.

Last fall, the tournament raised more than $100,000.

"We made the mission statement somewhat purposefully wide: education of young people, helping young people," he said.

The foundation was formed soon after Petit's wife, Jennifer Hawk-Petit and two daughters, Hayley and Michaela, were killed in a home invasion.

Longtime Petit friend, Ron Bucchi said that the foundation is a way that Petit can begin to move forward.

"I think he's doing as well as anybody thinks, and by focusing on the family foundation, it's a help for him," he said.

After awarding about six scholarships to local students, the foundation is helping to fund a domestic violence shelter in New Britain.

"We hope we can do good things and raise enough money beyond the borders of Connecticut, and we'd like to help people all over the country if we could," Petit said.

He said that everything the foundation does is an extension of what his wife and daughters would have done, including the way they treated other people.

Foundation Helps Petit Family Live On

"Kindess is the key if they treat other people with kindness, it will be a better place to live," he said.

Monday's event was at the Country Club of Farmington. The foundation's next event is a road race in Plainville on July 20.

The Petit family told Eyewitness News that the trials for the two men charged in connection with the home invasion aren't likely to begin until 2010.