Once again, our Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair Chairs - Russ and Kelly Trottier - have been hard at work throughout the summer and into the fall working hand-in-hand with our dedicated Buddy Walk Task Force to get ready to greet you on Sunday, Sept. 20 at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge.

Just look at the amazing array of activities they've lined up for you and your family... 
  • Pie Eating Contest
  • Haystack Hunt
  • Ball Toss
  • Live Music 
  • Disc Jockey
  • Dance performance
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Raffle
  • Football Hoop Toss
  • Cup 'o Goldfish
  • Life-size Tic Tac Toe
  • Pig Pen Game
  • Giant Bubbles
  • Face Painting
  • Tattoos (Pirates & Halloween)
  • Glitter Stickers
  • Games by Knucklebones

This 3rd Annual Central Mass. Walk is shaping up to the best yet. Silent auction and raffle items include an American Girl Doll, Bose Headset, iTunes Gift Card, New Balance Gift Certificate, Pampered Chef Basket, Children's Baskets, and more!

Without further delay, we wanted you hear directly from Russ and Kelly! Read their letter below and be sure to say "Hi" and "Thank you" at the walk. 

REGISTER NOW!
PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 
MIDNIGHT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17.
 T-shirts are only guaranteed to those who pre-register for the event.

And remember, if you can't make it to this Buddy Walk, we hope you'll join us on Oct. 11 in Wakefield for our 19th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival, our biggest fundraiser and awareness event of the year. 

A Letter from Russ & Kelly Trottier 
Dear Friends,

Fall is a great time of year!  The Heritage State Park along the Blackstone River is a beautiful spot, and is especially enjoyable during the fall.  For the third year in a row, caring people from throughout our area are gathering at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge to have fun and support a great cause!

We're speaking, of course, about the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair - a fun, fall-themed event that leads up to National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  We expect over 500 people will join us again this year on September 20 to enjoy what has become a great family event as we celebrate with friends and supporters in the Down syndrome community to promote inclusion and raise awareness of the programs available for families of children with Down syndrome.

As the parents of a child with Down Syndrome - our son, Colin who will be 4 on September 29th - we know and appreciate the importance of events like this.  We've learned first-hand how the MDSC works with programs like Early Intervention. EI services have addressed Colin's low muscle tone and have improved his ability to communicate with us through speech therapy.  

That's why we helped organize and chair the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair this year, and in the last two years.  Our other three sons - Mason, Mitchell, and Cole - will join Colin and the two of us on the Buddy Walk, and we welcome everyone who can attend and be part of this wonderful event.


So join us along the trail for the 1-mile walk in this classic New England Farm setting, then stick around for the rest of the event featuring a raffle with tons of great prizes, a live performance by the band UP, field games by the fan-favorite Knucklebones, and a variety of games, arts and crafts.

Funds raised will support all MDSC programs, which advocate for full, meaningful lives for individuals with Down syndrome across the state.  

The event also helps to promote the new Central Massachusetts Regional Down Syndrome Multidisciplinary Center at UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center in Worcester, which will be opening soon.  The Center will help coordinate care for our region's families seeking specialized services for children with Down syndrome in Central Massachusetts.  This much-needed center brings together specialists in audiology/ENT, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology/oncology, orthopedics, primary care and pulmonary medicine.

Please join us on Sunday, September 20th for the 3rd Annual Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair.  We hope to see you there!

All the best,
Russ, Kelly, Mason, Mitchell, Colin and Cole Trottier.
 
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. 17.  

Register for the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Central MA Here

 

Register for the Buddy Walk & Family Festival in Wakefield Here

 

Where the Funds Go

Funds raised by the Buddy Walk support MDSC programs and services, including Parents First Call, Advocates in Motion, Self-Advocate Advisory Council, the Annual Conference, the Educators Forum, Allen C. Crocker Self Advocate Internship Program and our advocacy and public awareness initiatives, all of which seek to ensure individuals with Down syndrome in Massachusetts are valued, included, and given opportunities to pursue fulfilling lives.

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. 



THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS 

 

 







Chick's Barbershop
Copart
iHeart Media  
J.W.P. Sales
Koopman Lumber
KV Partners Polar Beverage
Speech & Language Specialties 
State Liquor Exchange 
TTE Laboratories
United Lens Company 
Webster Five Foundation 
Wiersma Insurance Agency


About the Buddy Walk® Program

NDSS BW logo2 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. 


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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.

 

www.mdsc.org