World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21, symbolic of a third copy of the 21st chromosome that characterizes Down syndrome. We hope you're as excited as we are to celebrate! Here are some great ways to get involved:

• Wear a t-shirt (and show us how it looks!). Last year, NDSS was proud to unveil a signature line of t-shirts featuring 3:21. The line has since expanded to include the popular kids design in all sizes (including adults) and sweatshirts and long sleeve t-shirts are now available for adults too. Last World Down Syndrome Day we aired a video featuring photos submitted of the signature collection. Now that we've expanded the collection we invite you to email photos of any of our signature items to info@ndss.org by Monday, March 18 for a chance to be included in this year's video. Check out the collection and snap a photo! 
• Do you blog? Grab our blogger button and take the pledge to Do Something Extra on your blog in honor of World Down Syndrome Day. Encourage your readers to do the same in their own way!
• Raise awareness in your hometown. There are lots of great ways to get involved on a local level, and our community ideas guide can help you do it! 

Since 2005, NDSS has provided financial assistance to young adults with Down syndrome who choose to take classes or enroll in postsecondary educational programs, through the O'Neill Tabani Enrichment Fund. Congratulations to this year's O'Neill Tabani Enrichment Fund recipients! Eleven outstanding students who have Down syndrome were awarded scholarships to help cover the cost of their postsecondary or enrichment courses, including Sam Hazeltime of Charlestown, SC. Here is what Sam had to say about going to college. 

In January, blogger, author, photographer and mother Kelle Hampton set out once again to raise $100,000 in honor of her daughter, Nella.  She is more than 25% to her annual goal and has raised a collective total of more than $236,000 since her first NDSS fundraiser in October 2010 in support of their first Buddy Walk®. Nella's Triple Crown was established in celebration of Nella's third birthday.  

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Since the conference began in 2009, we have visited four different regions of the country. In an effort to make the conference accessible to all Walk organizers, in 2013 we will host the entire conference online. In 2014, the Buddy Walk® Conference will be in person again. We are putting the final touches on the schedule of events and encourage you submit topics to include in virtual breakout sessions. Registration will be opening soon, so stay tuned for more information. 

Email your suggestions to NDSS National Buddy Walk® Director Rebecca Switalski. Interested in being a presenter? Let us know that too! 

On March 13-14, NDSS will host our 2013 Buddy Walk® on Washington. We are pleased to have over 200 advocates from the Down syndrome community advocating for legislative issues that positively impact people with Down syndrome.

Following an awards ceremony, at which we will honor several individuals and groups with the 2013 NDSS Champion of Change awards, our advocates will experience an action-packed day on Capitol Hill, beginning with a reception in the US Capitol where NDSS will honor 10 senators and 10 representatives as our 2013 NDSS Legislative Leaders. In the afternoon, NDSS will take part in a press conference promoting the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2013 and the Down Syndrome Research Consortium meeting. If you can't make the Buddy Walk® on Washington, you can still make your voice heard. We will issuing an advocacy alert, so you can contact your senators and representative about our 2013 legislative priorities.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2013 (S. 313/H.R.647) was introduced in the 113th Congress by a bipartisan, bicameral set of Congressional Champions including Senators Robert Casey, Jr., (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), and Representatives Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) on February 13. The ABLE Act earned 59 original House cosponsors and 18 original Senate cosponsors.

The ABLE Act would amend Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986 to create tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The bill aims to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing and transportation. You can do your part to pass the ABLE Act by contacting your senators and representative to cosponsor this important bill.