Bucks County family honors memory of 9-year-old boy who drowned with Buddy Bench

NEW BRITAIN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A family from Bucks County is making sure a little boy's legacy lives on, dedicating a Buddy Bench in his honor.

Joey Malcolm Jr., 9, was fishing at a pond in New Britain Borough on June 9th when he fell in and drowned.

Joey's family wants to keep his spirit alive and make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.

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They built a Buddy Bench in honor of him and placed it at Joey's school, Simmons Elementary School, in Horsham, Pennsylvania on Saturday with family, friends and school leaders.

The bench has Joey's picture on it and it's engraved with: "The meaning of the Buddy Bench: When fishing, swimming, riding bikes or any outdoor activity, don't go alone. Friends and buddies make things more fun and safe. Buddies look out for one another and never leave a friend behind."

"Part of the way that they could honor him is to spread awareness of the importance of not only being a friend for children that might need one, but also that it's really important for safety reasons to never go off on their own and to always have a buddy by their side," said Melissa Meltzer, who is a marriage and family therapist.

The family also created Joey's Gifts in his memory, which will have a scholarship program that provides financial assistance to children who have a passion for sports, but cannot afford to play.

They're also raising money for Wags Rescue to help animals in need in honor of Joey's love for animals.