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Community Corner

Sudbury Families Joined Thousands at 17th Annual Buddy Walk

Event Promotes Acceptance & Inclusion at Critical Time for Down Syndrome Community

Sudbury, MA — On Sunday, October 13th, in celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, many Sudbury Families gathered together at the 17th Annual Buddy Walk and Family Festival.   They joined close to 4,000 family members, friends, and individuals with Down syndrome at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield for the event.   The purpose of the Buddy Walk and Family Festival, which benefits the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC), is to celebrate, promote acceptance and inclusion, and look to a bright future for the Down syndrome community in Massachusetts and beyond.   It’s the largest gathering of people with Down syndrome and their loved ones in New England and among the largest in the nation.

 

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Emceeing the event was news anchor Heather Hegedus of Fox25, the MDSC Buddy Walk’s official network sponsor.

This year, the MDSC welcomed back to their Buddy Walk stage Rachel Coleman of "Signing Time!”, the television program that teaches children basic American Sign Language in a fun, engaging way.   She brought her unbelievable stage presence and ability to connect and interact with members of our audience while teaching sign language. Coleman has been nominated for an Emmy in the "Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series" category.  And she is not only the face of the program; she also produces and directs the series.

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“There is an amazing network of families from the town of Sudbury, who have children with Down syndrome”, said Kerri Tabasky, who co-chaired the event with her husband Jon for the second year.   Kerri and Jon have become very involved with the MDSC and the Buddy Walk to help raise awareness, and to ensure that their daughter Anna has a very fulfilling life where she is accepted and included, and not defined by her diagnosis.     Kerri adds, “Today, with email, the internet and social media, each of us has the ability to raise awareness exponentially and give the public a fuller, more accurate picture of what living with Down syndrome means, in all its complexities. “  

 

This year, the MDSC is using these tools to take its public awareness efforts to a new level.  They recently garnered the support of some well-known Buddy Walk Ambassadors to participate in their “Superhero Project”, including Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman, Ayla Brown, Tiffani Faison Walsh of Top Chef, David Soren, director of the movie “Turbo”, and the Boston Ballet’s Sarah Wroth.  One of the MDSC’s newest Ambassadors is actor Chris Evans, who is a Sudbury Native and has starred in “Captain America” and “Fantastic Four”.  These individuals filmed promotional videos encouraging the public to celebrate our loved ones with Down syndrome, our “real-life” superheroes, and understand what they’re truly capable of.   

 

Dolores Benoit, of Sudbury, states “It was a spectacular day with so many dedicated families celebrating inclusion and acceptance.  When you educate people about Down syndrome you spread love.”  Dolores’s son, David, and Kerri’s daughter, Anna, are kindergarten classmates at the Loring School in Sudbury.

 

The family-friendly event featured arts and crafts, balloon artists, magicians, and musicians, including “Mr. Vic”, who comes to the event each year and invites the children to play instruments with him.    Nashville-based Ayla Brown (American Idol Season 5 semi-finalist), returned for the fifth year with her 5-piece band, and played songs from her recently released album.   Opening for Ayla was Kerri and Jon’s daughter Anna, singing “Tomorrow”.    There was also a special performance by dancers in the Boston Ballet Adaptive Dance Program.

 

In 2013, building on the theme of this year's Annual Conference, the MDSC has dubbed their 17th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival the "Walk for Real Lives." Like the Real Lives Conference, the name stems from the "Real Lives Bill," the critical piece of state legislation that promises to give people with Down syndrome and other disabilities more control over the their funds and their lives.

 

The centerpiece of the day is the celebratory three-mile walk around the picturesque lake that is expected to raise more than $350,000 to directly support vital MDSC programs and services. This includes Parent’s First Call, Advocates in Motion (AIM), Teacher Partnership Network, Educator's Forum, Annual Conference, and Legislative Advocacy efforts, all of which help the MDSC ensure individuals with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given opportunities to pursue fulfilling lives in the community.

 

 

The MDSC’s Work

Founded in 1983, the MDSC today has over 3,000 members, an energetic Board of Directors, a dynamic management team, and a vision to ensure that every person with Down syndrome has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. As we have over the past nearly three decades, the MDSC continues to ensure that all individuals in Massachusetts with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given every opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives.

 

The MDSC is on the cutting edge of Down syndrome advocacy at a time of unprecedented change caused by technological innovations, medical advances, greater public understanding of the abilities of people with Down syndrome and an increasing recognition of the joy they add to the world. The release of new non-invasive prenatal tests has started to change the way Down syndrome has always been diagnosed (from postnatal diagnosis to a future of prenatal diagnoses), raising ethical implications and questions about the future of the Down syndrome community.

 

In these complex times, the MDSC combines a forward-thinking vision with a wealth of experience and expertise. Our signature program, Parent’s First Call, proactively engages health care providers and other advocacy organizations to ensure that expectant couples have access to accurate up-to-date information about Down syndrome when they receive this prenatal diagnosis so that they can make an informed decision. 

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