The Centre County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday issued a proclamation declaring October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month in Centre County.
The proclamation came as the Centre Region Down Syndrome Society gets ready to host its annual Buddy Walk from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Mount Nittany Middle School.
“What I’ve experienced is how much I get from being with persons with Down syndrome — how much creativity, problem-solving and just joy they bring to any situation” Medora Ebersole, Centre Region Down Syndrome Society board member, told the commissioners. “And there’s a huge opportunity [on] Saturday at Mount Nittany Middle School: the Buddy Walk. There’s going to be games, prizes, and raffles and you get to walk as a fundraiser to support the many activities that the Down Syndrome Society gives to our community. So, I hope everyone turns out for the Buddy Walk.”
Online registration for the Buddy Walk closes at 9 a.m. Friday. Walk-in registration is available at the event. The fundraiser is $20 and free for individuals with Down syndrome.
“…There’s a lot of other things in the community too,” Ebersole added. “Through Special Olympics and intramural sports leagues and the For Good performing arts troupe… so I just wanted to let everyone know how it has enriched my life and it will enrich yours.”
Founded in 2006, the Centre Region Down Syndrome Society provides individuals with Down syndrome and their families with support and resources to achieve personal fulfillment and live life to the fullest. It was started by five families as a group for support and advocacy and has grown to include more than 100 families.
Nearly 6 million people worldwide and 300,000 in the United States live with Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal anomaly occurring in the country.
Haley Smith, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, said she was grateful that the commissioners were recognizing and supporting the Down syndrome community. Smith is a recent graduate of the WorkLink program at Penn State, a two-year certificate program that “provides the opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in postsecondary experiences and education alongside their peers,” according to the program website.
“Thank you for continuing to recognize Centre County’s Down syndrome community by proclaiming October 2023 as Centre County Down Syndrome Awareness Month,” Smith said. “We will never forget your support and kindness.”
Commissioner Amber Concepcion said she appreciated hearing from Smith.
“I am excited to hear that you have just graduated from the [WorkLink] program at Penn State,” Concepcion said. “I think that is a wonderful program and provides a lot of opportunities for folks with Down syndrome and other needs to be able to spread their wings in a supportive environment.
“I am glad that you are here to talk to us about the down syndrome community so that we can be supportive as a community for what the needs [are] of our individuals and families who have someone in their family who has Down syndrome… We just feel that having such a diversity of folks in our community provides a lot of extra joy to us.”
