Public Awareness at Heart of Annual Event

A 3-Mile Walk That's So Much More

For 16 going on 17 years, the MDSC's Buddy Walk & Family Festival has been bringing people together around beautiful Lake Quannapowitt to raise critical funds and to create a forum for our entire community to connect, share and support one another. 

 

If this isn't reason enough for more than 4,000 members of our Down syndrome community to gather once a year, there is one other major objective of our Buddy Walks that is equally important.... raising Public Awareness, whether about the longstanding issues in the Down syndrome or about new issues on the horizon. 

 

 

So, what do FOX25, Mix104.1, AMP103.3 and Wicked Local Wakefield have in common? Our 17th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Picnic would not be possible without the support of all our Media Sponsors. 

 

Thanks to them and to our national partner, and our Buddy Walk Task Force, we have been reaching more people than ever with the MDSC's message of empowerment and inclusion for people with Down syndrome. 

 

This year, we have been working with local and national celebrities to bring more recognition to the Down syndrome community. Stay tuned for an announcement of these "Buddy Walk Ambassadors" who will  be part of this effort.

 

Here's more on how we're reaching the public about the issues that matter to you and your loved ones... 

    mdsc logo transparent 

Last year, we were blown away by Heather Hegedus, the Fox25 news anchor who emceed our Buddy Walk & Family Festival for the first time and proved to be a consummate professional on stage throughout the day. 

 

But even more than that, she took time after the formal events ended at 4 p.m. to just hang out with our community. AND THEN, hours later, if you weren't too exhausted after a long day, you could have seen her on the FOX25 News at 10, airing a comprehensive, balanced piece that she had put together in the interim. Wow! 

 

 

 

This year, Heather and her team, including Director of Marketing and Community Affairs 

Maggie Hennessey-Nees, have already gotten started promoting the Buddy Walk. Look for this Public Service Announcement, which stars Heather alongside MDSC members Maya, Anna and Jordan Tabasky, on FOX25 up until the big day. 

 

 

 

We can't say enough about the Fox25's team's efforts to promote our mission to the masses. Last year's promo, featuring Glee's Lauren Potter, aired more than 80 times. For a behind the scenes look at the filming of this year's promo, see below. 

 


On-Air Partners 

 

 

Our radio partners, Mix 104.1 and 103.3 AMP Radio (both owned by CBS Radio) have been integral to getting the word out about our Buddy Walk. Year after year, they have gone above and beyond to promote our largest fundraiser and gathering of the year.  

 

For the past several years, Mix on-air personalities have conducted long-form interviews in the lead-up to the Buddy Walk in October. These informative pieces are heard by thousands of listeners who may not otherwise hear anything all year about the issues in the Down syndrome community.   

 

 

Last year, on her mid-day show, former Buddy Walk emcee Erin O'Malley interviewed Buddy Walk Special Guest Lauren Potter, who covered everything from her public policy work (on President Obama's Commission on Disabilities) to her love of Boston (hear interview below). 

 

 

 

 
Local Media Outreach 

We are grateful to be able to get the word out through our major media partners in the region. But local media also plays a critical role. 

 

For example, our newspaper sponsor, Wicked Local Wakefield, builds support for our Buddy Walk in the community by running advertisements just before the event.   

 

And this year, WMWM 91.7 FM, Salem State Radio will keep our Public Service Announcement in regular rotation up until the walk. The PSA, which you can hear below, was created through our partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society and features Disney's Imagination Movers. 

 

What Can You Do? 

As you get your Buddy Walk Team up and running, we hope you, too, will play a role in getting the word out in your community. As critical as our media partnerships are, the Buddy Walk Program is ultimately about YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES! That's why we also take a grassroots media outreach approach. 
 

PLEASE HELP BY SHARING YOUR STORY IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

 

It's as easy as picking up the phone or sending an email. Just contact your local newspaper, radio station or community television station. Tell them that your participating in the 17th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month. 

  • Tell them your family's story
  • Ask them to shadow you
  • Ask them to talk to a reporter
  • Ask them if you can send them a photo


IT DOESN'T GET ANY EASIER THAN THIS

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to outreach to your local media. That's why we've created a Press Release template that you can use to get your story in your local newspaper, radio or television station. 

 

Here's what you can do: 

  1. Access the template here (you may need to have a free Google account to do so)
  2. Use the Down Arrow on the top left to download it
  3. Insert a photo of your family or loved one
  4. Insert your name and your story where necessary 
  5. Email it to (or drop it off with) your local paper
  6. Contact Communications Director Joshua Komyerov to let us know

With these simple steps, you can spread the word about our community and see yourselves in the local paper! 

   

Celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month With Us

 

Because each step around the beautiful 3-mile route gives hope to new families, provides critical support and resources for other families, teaches educators, policymakers and medical professionals how to best serve people with Down syndrome, and ultimately changes the lives of people with Down syndrome and those who love them. 

 

JOIN THE EXCITEMENT & THE CELEBRATION! 


And don't forget, this year we launch our first-ever

Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Central Mass.... 

Nothing like Autumn in Central Mass! 

 

Our first ever Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Central Massachusetts will be held September 22nd at the beautiful River Bend Farm in Uxbridge. We expect to bring more than 500 individuals with Down syndrome, families, and friends together for an early autumn celebration. 

 

Come to Uxbridge for a day of country-fair fun that includes a live band performance by SPUR, a petting zoo, games with Knucklebones, a hay bale maze, children's entertainment, refreshments, and much more! The 1-mile walk is nestled along a winding river on a classic New England farmland setting. Funds raised will support all MDSC programs advocating for full, meaningful lives for individuals with Down syndrome across the state.

 

REGISTER NOW

(t-shirts are only guaranteed to those who pre-register)

 

RBF barn    RBF bridge

If you want more information about the Walk, contact us at 781-221-0024 or [email protected]

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