Opening Doors to a Brighter Future

Down Syndrome strikes 1 in every 800 babies. Although commonly thought to predominantly afflict children of “older” mothers, the fact is that actually 80% of mothers giving birth to children with Down Syndrome are under the age of 35. At one time, Down Syndrome children had little hope and research was not being intensively done. Now, thanks to a number of groups, these children have people “opening doors to create a brighter future.

One such group is The Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization, which was started in 1980 by three mothers who had a common need to make a better life for their children with Down Syndrome.  The group first met in the home of one of the founders.  At that time, Palm Beach County had no other group dedicated to advocating specifically for persons with Down Syndrome.
On October 18th, Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization will be holding a Buddy Walk. The funds earned through this charitable donation are used as outlined in the group’s brochure, for:

… raising awareness and generating acceptance of individuals with Down syndrome. We accomplish this through our many programs: Newborn, family outreach, therapeutic playgroups, the Learning Program, school aged social and recreational activities, teen and adult dances and social activities, educational advocacy and training, parent and teacher education, conferences, healthcare conferences, informational resources to our families, and community service liaison.

Register on Line
www.goldcoastdownsyndrome.org

Walk Brochure
http://www.goldcoastdownsyndrome.org/buddywalk/2009%20brochure.pdf

Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization
15th Annual BUDDY WALK
Sunday, October 18, 2009
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Walk begins at 9:15 am