PRESS RELEASE

Aug. 18, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Josh Komyerov, 781-221-0024 ext. 202
Maureen Gallagher, Exec. Director, 781-221-0024 ext. 201

Hundreds of Families Gather in Uxbridge

to Celebrate Down Syndrome with loved
ones again
MDSC to have 2nd Annual 'Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair'
Burlington, MA The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) is proud
to announce bringing back the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Central
Massachusetts on Sunday, September 22, 2013 in River Bend Farm, Uxbridge, MA
for its second year. The autumn event is once again expecting more than 500
people, including individuals with Down syndrome, family members and friends,
to raise both awareness about Down syndrome and critical funds to support our
programs and advocacy work.
This celebration is an old-fashioned country fair-themed walk with a picturesque
farmland setting. The 1-mile walk route is along a winding river, and the event will
include family fun activities, field games, childrens music and entertainment,
refreshments and much more!
The MDSC Buddy Walk Program is the states largest public awareness platform to
promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Our two
other walks are the Buddy Walk & Family Festival in Wakefield, MA and the Buddy
Walk by the Sea in Falmouth, MA.

The MDSC provides a wide range of support to those directly affected by Down
syndrome and also advocates for Down syndrome issues on the local and national
level. We support new and expectant families, educate health care professionals
about Down syndrome and how to deliver a diagnosis, provide social and
leadership development for teens and young adults with Down syndrome, equip
educators with best practices and resources, and create and influence legislation
affecting people with Down syndrome.
The 2nd Annual Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair has currently raised a total donation of
$10,115! The MDSC is one step closer to reach its ultimate goal, to ensure that all
individuals with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given the
opportunities to pursue fulfilling lives.
Families will be attending from throughout Central Mass. and across the state.
Contact us to be put in touch with a family in your coverage area!
About Down Syndrome
World Down Syndrome Awareness Day is celebrated annually on March 21. This date, 3/21, was chosen because
Down syndrome occurs when a person has three (rather than two) copies of the 21st chromosome. One in every 691
babies is born with Down syndrome. Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in
recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to more than 60 today. People with Down syndrome attend school, work; participate
in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many ways.

About the MDSC

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. In the early years,
parents met in a living room to share information about their children, provide support for each other and strategize
how to educate their families, schools and communities. More than 28 years later, the MDSC 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. Today, the MDSC is on the cutting edge of
Down syndrome advocacy at a time when an innovative, forward-thinking vision is needed.
The MDSC offers a broad array of programs to serve people with Down syndrome and their families throughout the
state, including: our signature Parents First Call Program, a volunteer, state-wide group of trained parent mentors
available 24/7 that is a national model; two major annual conferences that draw national and international experts in
their fields; a Buddy Walk Program that gives individuals, schools, community groups, and local businesses an
opportunity to get involved in fundraising campaigns and events year-round; aTeacher Partnership Network that
matches educators with experience teaching students with Down syndrome with teachers who have limited or no
experience; Self-Advocate Programs like Advocates in Motion and our Self-Advocate Advisory Council, which
provide opportunities for teens and adults with Down syndrome while making empowerment a central component.