Our Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair Chairs - Russ and Kelly Trottier - have been hard at work throughout the summer and into the fall working hard with our dedicated Buddy Walk Task Force to get ready to greet you on Sunday, Sept. 21 at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge.

This 2nd Annual Central Mass. Walk will be even better than the inaugural event, with a temporary tattoo parlor, haunted bingo, scarecrow-making tables and a slew of games and activities by Knucklebones. Silent auction and raffle items include girls and boys bikes, football autographed by Tom Brady, Bose Speakers, golf foursomes, espresso machine, restaurant gift cards, baskets with children's items and tons of other awesome gifts!

We wanted you to have the chance to hear from Russ and Kelly directly so they can tell you why they're chairing the Central Mass. Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair for the second straight year! Read their letter below and be sure to say hi and thank you when you see Team Trottier on Sept. 21.

(You must pre-register by midnight Thursday, Sept. 18 to be guaranteed a Buddy Walk t-shirt in your size.)

And remember, whether or not you can make it to this Buddy Walk, we hope you'll join us on Oct. 12 in Wakefield for our 18th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival, our biggest fundraiser and awareness event of the year.

You'll soon be receiving a letter from Kerri and Jon Tabasky who will share their excitement and enthusiasm about that walk which is being sponsored by Verizon, WBZ, and others. We have a big celebrity line-up that you won't want to miss.

So, whether you join us on September 21 in Uxbridge or October 12 in Wakefield, we have something for just about everyone at our two upcoming MDSC Buddy Walks. Please sign up for one of these walks today!

Sept. 21 - Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Uxbridge
Oct. 12 - Buddy Walk & Family Festival in Wakefield

A Letter from Russ & Kelly Trottier

Dear Friends,

We are honored and delighted to chair the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair again this year. Last year proved to be a huge success and we expect a huge turnout again this year. The walk will take place at Uxbridge's River Bend Farm on September 21, 2014 @ 10:00AM.

This old-fashioned country fair-themed event will include arts and crafts, field games, kid-friendly live entertainment, raffles for all ages and much more!

It promises to be a fun-filled day, but it is more than that. The purpose of the event, of course, is to raise awareness about Down syndrome and to promote inclusion. Even more important, it is a celebration of our friends and family in the Down syndrome community.

We are so pleased to co-chair this event as we ourselves are just at the beginning of our journey as parents of a child with Down syndrome - Colin turns 3 on September 29th.

When Colin was born, we were not sure what it meant or what we would need to do differently in caring for him. Today we have early intervention services to help strengthen his muscles dealing with his low tone and continuously working on his speech so we can communicate and understand what he is trying to tell us. Colin is the rock of our family and none of us would trade this life for anything.

We realize how much we've benefited from the hard work of those who came before us. That's why we believe in "Paying It Forward." The MDSC has been central to so many advancements, like fighting for legislation to support people with Down syndrome, running programs to help new and expecting parents, and providing valuable information and resources for families, educators, medical providers and others.

That is why we are working tirelessly to bring in $100,000 from the event to support the MDSC's programs and services. It is our way of giving back and helping ensure that the MDSC will be around for our children and children's children for the years to come.

Please join us on Sunday, September 21st for the 2nd Annual Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair. We hope to see you there!

Go here to Register Today!

Best,

Russ, Kelly, Mason, Mitchell, Colin, and Cole Trottier

Sutton, Mass.

P.S. - Remember that t-shirts are only guaranteed for participants who pre-register before midnight on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Photo by Selina Richall

About the Buddy Walk� Program

The Buddy Walk� was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The Buddy Walk has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to nearly 300 walks planned for 2013 worldwide. In 2012, more than $11.5 million was raised nationwide to benefit local programs and services, as well as the national advocacy and public awareness initiatives of NDSS that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome. The MDSC Buddy Walk Program is New England's largest public awareness platform to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

Find us on:

Promoting Acceptance & Inclusion

Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress Mission

We work to ensure individuals with Down syndrome in Massachusetts are valued, included, and given the opportunities to pursue fulfilling lives by providing information, networking opportunities, and advocacy for people with Down syndrome and their families, educators, health care professionals, and the community-at-large.