Mason Petrofsky | Kol Rinah

Moving to St. Louis just six months before his bar mitzvah, Mason, son of Jinny and Keith Petrofsky of Clayton, knew that adjusting to a new school, community and synagogue didn’t leave a lot of time to search for and work on a mitzvah project. Because one of his family members has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare, inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment, he decided to support an organization that had a personal connection, the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB). 

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national research organization that is dedicated to providing treatments and cures for people affected by retinal degenerative diseases. And, Mason’s grandparents, Eileen and Bob Petrofsky, have been very active with FFB for many years, helping to raise funds, organize and walk in their annual VisionWalk every fall at Creve Coeur Park. 

The Petrofsky’s team page, The SEE Team, requested participants and donors to join their cause and make the world a brighter place for millions of Americans with blinding eye diseases. Mason, his parents and brother joined the SEE team and Mason personally donated $370 to FBB. They also walked with the team in the VisionWalk in October. With a goal of $4,500, The SEE Team raised just over $4,800, the third highest-ranking team in St. Louis. Since the Petrofsky family is a sponsor and not simply a team, they had a name sign along the route.

In his d’var Torah, Mason, a student at Clayton High School, said he is grateful for the love and support his family always gives him. He also said, “Another thing that I am thankful for, that a lot of people take for granted, is my eyesight. For those who have never been without it, it is impossible to image what life would be like without the ability to see.”