The Up Side of Downs and the Buddy Walk

   One of the groups my family was involved in was the Up Side of Downs, which is a support and celebration group in Northeast Ohio. Their website has information on how to be a part of different support groups, information for new parents or expecting parents on how their lives will change, and general information about Down Syndrome. They host different events for parents and kids, and are a great resource for families that are still coming to terms with the fact that their child is going to have different needs.

   For me, the greatest part of the Up Side of Downs has to be the Buddy Walk. The event takes place in the late summer each year and consists of a mile walk in downtown Cleveland. The last few years it has taken place at Progressive Field, but this year it is located at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

   People register under different team names that show support for their Buddy. The event has different sponsors, Walmart being a big one, and there is live music, giant inflatables, games, giveaways, and food. People line the sidewalks and warning track of Progressive Field and give out thousands of high fives.

http://slbuddywalk.org/about

   The Buddy Walk for us is a large family get together. We usually have a walking party of 15-20, and we'll either have a family get together at our house afterward, or go out to eat some place. It's an awesome event that truly highlights all the Buddies in our lives, and it's great to see all the different families come together to celebrate Down Syndrome. I always see people I went to school with that are there to support their family members, so the way it connects us all is pretty exciting. 

Starting off the walk!

   Another cool part of the Buddy Walk are the sponsors. Now, they send their various versions of promotions and giveaways to help market, but they also send a lot of mascots, because that's the best way to get the kids involved. Each time, a giant Energizer Bunny walks around handing out bunny ears, or this year a place even sent some super heroes for kids to take pictures with! Everyone that registers gets a matching t-shirt, but some teams decide to make their own shirts. These ones were a definitely a hit.

The Buddy Walk is one of the most popular USOD events

Did you know?

There are currently over 400,000 people living with Down Syndrome in the United States alone?

There are three different types of Down Syndrome, which is a full or partial copy of the 21st chromosome. These forms are nondisjunction, translocation, and mosaicism 

The life expectancy of someone with Downs has increased from the age of 25 in the 1980's all the way to 60 in today's world.