The Woodbridge Community Bands Together at a Comedy Benefit for Fire Victims

The Banding Together Foundation of Woodbridge held a “Comedy Night” benefit at Ariana's Grand for deserving families in the township area. Among the recipients were
Chris Penik attended the event on behalf of her husband and children, and was overjoyed by . Mrs. Penik grew up in neighboring Rahway, while her husband, Steve, has roots in the Sewaren section of the township. The pair lived in her husband’s hometown for 10 years before moving to Rahway to live with her mother - along with her daughter, Carly, and son, Justin - while they waited for their custom-built home in Colonia to be completed. On April 22, Chris Penik said, it would have been the fifth anniversary of her family's moving into their Colonia home.

While still grappling with the reality of the fire, Mrs. Penik said she is grateful that her family came out of it, alive and unharmed. “I tell my son, they are just things. In the grand scheme, it could have been a lot worse. We could have been visiting each other in the hospital or even worse, attending each other’s funeral. We’re still lucky," she said.

And it is her son and young daughter who have been most affected by the turn of events, she said. Mrs. Penik said she made certain not to keep the children out of school. “My son didn’t want to go to school but still did. He stayed with [a neighbor] the Petersens for a few days after the fire because his best friend is part of the family. They [the Petersens] have been truly amazing," she said.

This stay also helped to return some degree of normalcy to his life. Mrs. Penik's daughter, Carly, is autistic, so there is even more pressure to maintain a sense of stability and routine for her. An avid teddy bear collector, Carly lost all of her stuffed animals to the blaze. Mrs. Penik said the community has been very generous in re-stocking her daughter's teddy bear collection.

Mrs. Penik received a strong sense of community at Comedy Night, as her closest friends and neighbors were among the packed room of over one hundred guests who turned out for the event.

Sandy Petersen, a close friend and neighbor who took in Justin Penik after the fire, said, “Chris is a wonderful person. She comes from a good family and is always helping everyone. It’s nice for people to come together like this [tonight] and help her.”

The Penik family is staying at the Homestead Suites Hotel in Cranford while they tackle insurance paperwork and plan ahead. They have no intention of leaving Colonia behind; Mrs. Penik said they will rebuild at the exact same location.
 
Despite all she’s been through, Mrs. Penik remains humbled and optimistic throughout the entire ordeal. “When you have a child with a disability, you are grateful for their small accomplishments," she said.

"No one should have to go through this, but I tell my children it’ll make them stronger. We will all come out stronger," Mrs. Penik added.

Tickets for the event were $35 per person which included dinner, music, and the entertainment - the antics of five different comedians. There was also a host of items raffled off including a YMCA one-year gym membership, various gift baskets, and a 50/50 raffle prize totaling $350, which the winner immediately re-gifted back to the foundation.

A non-profit charity, the Banding Together Foundation, said its mission is “to help families that have been hit with unexpected illness or catastrophic events.”  In order for events like the Comedy Night to be successful, Banding Together relies on the donations of Woodbridge-area businesses and community members.