The Joseph “Joey” Banik Memorial Fund was established in loving memory of a sweet little boy who brought love and light to this world during his six weeks of life. Joey was born on March 20, 2021, and was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Williams Syndrome. He spent a few weeks at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before heading home to be joyfully introduced to his three best friends, his sisters. He was the apple of his family’s eye, loved being sung to and swayed with, and would stare at his family for hours on end. The only boy in a family of girls, they loved parading him around in little dinosaur sleepers. He was a strong little boy who fought hard and filled the world with absolute love and joy. The family looked forward to learning about and loving Joey as he grew and developed, and they knew he’d be working with local organizations such as The Arc of Northeastern PA to support him. The Fund, which benefits The Arc of Northeastern PA, was established to support individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to acquire education, life skills training, and employment. An annual award, the Joey Banik Memorial Award, will be given each year by The Arc at their annual meeting.