Families gathered at the Hoover Elementary School Saturday morning in Bergenfield to honor a 9-year-old boy with special needs who died suddenly this week.
Joseph "Jojo" Birney -- who was a beloved member of the Bergenfield Lou Harris Challenger group -- passed away on Oct. 16.
He was an active participant with the Challenger program, an extracurricular program for youth with special needs. He was also a student at Oakland's CTC Academy.
Green and white balloons were released in his memory -- green for his Irish heritage and white because of his new angel wings.
"He was a special little boy with an amazing spirit that just melted your soul," co-director Irina Cytowicz Tesoriero. "I will forever miss him."
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