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How Faith is helping us grow with Downs
Buddy Walk 2009

DONATE:  http://www.active.com/donate/buddywalk09/sydneysaints 

BECOME A TEAM MEMBER…   JOIN SYDNEY’S SAINTS!! 

This year Sydney’s Saints are marching in full Mardi Gras attire, “Beads and Boas, and Masks.. Oh My”.  Please join our team and come walk with us on Sunday, October 25, 2009.  The event lasts from noon to 4:00pm, team members need to be there by 1:00.

What does it mean to be on a team?

  • Pay a $15.00 registration fee which gets you a T-shirt and lunch. (BBQ)
  • Come out to Reunion Ranch and walk the One-mile walk with the team
  • Have a BLAST!  The Buddy Walk is really a great time for the whole family!!  There is so much to do at Reunion Ranch.  There will be pony rides, music, food, games, a fantastic playground, a helicopter, fire-engine, SWAT car, The Flying Elvises, paddle boats.
  • Come out wearing your BEST Mardi Gras attire!  Boas, Beads, masks, etc.  Party City and Oriental Trading Company are great resources.

So, What is the Buddy Walk?  It is the biggest fund raising event for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT).  DSACT is the non-profit organization that support people with Down syndrome (DS) and their families in the Austin metropolitan area.  The money from this walk supports:

  • Programs: Social, educational, and support programs meant to better the lives of our children with DS. 
  • Awareness: DSACT also is heavily focused on building DS awareness in the schools, medical community, religious community, and the workforce. 
  • Education:  A major focus this year is in the prenatal screening focusing not only on education for OBGYNs on delivering the diagnosis, but support for the new parents.  DSACT is also bringing in speakers throughout the year to specialize in topics directly related to raising our children.
  • Building Community:  There are community Forums and safe places for families to reach out to each other for support and questions related to DS.  Networking families together to benefit from each other’s experiences is incredible helpful, especially to those of us still new at all of this.

How does DSACT directly affect us?  Sydney is involved in the Ink-Dots program which is a social program for children with DS 0-6 yrs old and thier siblings.  It provides monthly events for families of young children to get together and socialize.  There are also lots of additional activites to enrich our children through classes like sign language, music, swimming, muscle strengthening through play, etc. all in groups designed for kids with special needs.  We also benefitted from the New Parent Package which introduced us to DS and DSACT.  We were greeted with a wealth of information, the most important being that we were NOT ALONE!!!