9/31 Buddy Walk!

Today is the Richmond Buddy Walk!    It's being held at one of the biggest shopping centers in the area--Short Pump Mall. It's an open mall, so we'll be outside and the weather is expected to be beautiful--sunny in the low 80s.   (That's my reminder to get the sunscreen out!)

We've got a collection of ratty old t-shirts from the past dozen years of Buddy Walks. Some have been handed down to Hannah to use as "paint shirts" to keep her regular clothes clean when she's being "creative".   It will be nice to have a new presentable t-shirt to wear!

Hannah and I went to retrieve Chris yesterday.  William and Mary has a fall break which conveniently falls on our traditional Buddy Walk date.   Chris and I usually volunteer at the registration table, while James and Hannah arrive a bit later.  

Hannah has done well with her fundraising.  She knows that the money she raises goes to our group, and to the NDSS.  Our Richmond group does a terrific job of sharing the funds directly with families and individuals with Down syndrome.  We have an Enrichment program which is available to all families who are active in the DSAGR (Greater Richmond).  The Enrichment program allows families to receive scholarship funds for an activity in which the individual with Ds would not otherwise be able to participate.   Last year we all went to Easter Seals Family camp for a week.   This year Hannah decided she wanted to focus on her swimming, so she applied for a series of swim lessons with a really great coach.  She's improved her strokes considerably!

Hannah has also been enjoying making new friends in FunQuest.  It's a group of kids with Ds in the middle and high school age ranges.  They do TONS of stuff--from movies and ice cream to cooking classes to glazing pottery.  All the activities are subsidized by the DSAGR.   It's a great opportunity to socialize and gain independence in the community.  

I'm glad that the Richmond group still does an Official Buddy Walk--I think it's very important to be a part of a something bigger than just our little corner of chromosomes.  The National Down Syndrome Society may not always promote things the way I'd like them to, but I am glad that they are advocating and lobbying for the Down syndrome population as a whole.  So many times we don't see the big picture, and the NDSS helps keeps the national conversation about research, education and advocacy relevant to the entire United States.

Off my soapbox and on to the Walk!  Pictures coming up soon, I hope!