Buddy Walk!
Post by John York
A couple of days ago, I was able to attend the National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk. The Buddy walk established by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. It has now become the premier advocacy event for Down syndrome. I attended the buddy walk with my sister and girlfriend, through their Master’s program at NCCU. There were so many people promoting the awareness of Down syndrome. Everybody was playing games, eating food, and having a good time. I was amazed at the musical selection. The first musical act was a group of drummers, some of the drummers had Down syndrome. They were really good, and very animated. It was cool seeing people come up and learn to play the drums after their performance. The next group of performers was a band. They had a Blues Clues feel. I really enjoyed watching the band interact with the children who were at the event. At one point, they had a dance-off. This little boy jumped in front of everybody and danced his heart out! I guess I don’t need to say that he won the dance-off. The actual walk took place at the end of the event. Everyone walks around a track that is lined with posters of children with Down syndrome. This is where reality set in for me. As much fun as I had, I quickly realized how important it is to advocate for Down syndrome. According to the Buddy Walk website, buddywalk.org, since its creation in 1995, over 2,000,000 people have participated in a Buddy Walk world-wide. I challenge you to research Down syndrome, and join a Buddy Walk in your area. I promise you it will change your life.
