We hope to keep Joey and Maria’s spirits alive by supporting those following their dreams.
Joey and Maria were just starting their lives. They had hopes and dreams of their own. Joey had just started an apprenticeship at Pieper Electric and Maria was just finishing up her junior year of college. They both worked so hard to get to that point in their lives. Joey went through a few different schooling options before he found the right one for him. He fell in love with the idea of hands-on work and knew that the trades were the right place for him. Maria knew Marketing was the right path for herself and worked tirelessly to be the student she knew she was capable of being. Not only did she balance the responsibilities of being a student, but she did that while also becoming a World Champion dancer. Her dance community held a special place in her heart and helped build her into the strong, intelligent woman we all knew her to be. Right before the accident, she stated how proud she was of herself for getting a 4.0 GPA during a semester that became complicated with COVID-19. She was set to graduate from UWW in May 2021.
To honor Joey and Maria, two scholarships have been started in their names. Joey’s scholarship has been made for graduating seniors at Greenfield High School that have applied to a trades program and exemplify Joey’s qualities by lifting others. Maria’s scholarship has been made for dancers at Brittany’s School of Dance located in Plymouth, WI that share the same love for dance and exemplify Maria’s qualities by seeing the good in all things. All of the profits made from the “We Rise” designs will go towards Joey’s scholarship and all of the profits made from the “See the Good” designs will go towards Maria’s scholarship.
From Joey and Maria’s families,
Joey grew up in Greenfield, WI where the community is made up of amazing people that loved him and have done so much for our family throughout this huge change in our lives, and the same thing goes for Maria and her family in their hometown of Sheboygan Falls, WI. Our communities have made us dinners, delivered us flowers, and have simply showered us with so much love. The support from our communities has meant so much to us. You all made an impact, whether it was big or small, within Joey and Maria’s lives the same way they made one on all of ours. We’re so thankful for everything you all have done and wouldn’t have been able to get through these hard times without your support.
A note from Joey’s Little Sister…
Thank you for being here! It has been a long year full of ups and downs, but I have always turned to creating to get me through. I’ve been sitting on this whole idea for many months now, mostly because I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to retell their story and have all of the emotions rush back. For me, it meant reopening the wounds that I’ve been trying to heal this whole past year, but this project has become a new way for me to keep their spirits alive.
From designing the clothing to creating this website, I kept all of my Joey and Maria memories front and center in my mind and used them to bring all of this to life and create something that they would love if they were here to see it. I chose to create this brand because I wanted to give all of you, those who have loved our families through all of this, something new that will make you think of Joey and Maria every time you look at it. I would love to see these tees and sweatshirts on people all around and have them remind me of Joey and Maria each time. I hope you enjoy these pieces and continue to keep their spirits alive.
All the love,
Collette
