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Please note this is a corrected version with updated links to registration.
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Our Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair Chairs - Jessica and Jim Padula- 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. 18 at Lake Chauncy in Westborough.
T
hey've lined up an exciting array of activities up for you and your family...
- Hayride
- Live entertainment by Kayla Daly & Friends
- DJ playing top pop hits
- Food vendors
- Complimentary snacks and refreshments courtesy of BJ's Wholesale Club
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- Free post-walk ice cream post walk from Uhlmans
- Firetruck and police car appearance
- Arts and crafts
- Games by Knucklebones
- Raffle with tons of great prizes
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This 4th Annual Central Mass. Walk is shaping up to the best yet at our new location in Westborough along the beautiful Lake Chauncy!
Without further adieu, we want you to hear directly from Jessica and Jim!
REGISTER NOW!
T-shirts are only guaranteed to those who pre-register for the event.
Pre-registration closes Sept. 15
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A Letter from Jessica and Jim Padula
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Dear Friends,
For the past couple of years, we have
been proud to
se
rve on the Harvest Fair planning
committee. And this year, we are honored to be chairing the event!
It's been exciting to see the Central Mass. Buddy Walk grow year after year to the point that this year's walk is being moved to Lake Chauncy Westborough! In the lead up to the event, we have already received a huge outpouring of support from the Westborough community, for which we are truly grateful.
Of course, there is much that goes on behind the scen
es to make this event successful - it would not be possible without our
amazing planning committee, MDSC
staff, family and volunteers.
We want to thank everyone for their support as we travel on this journey as a family and a community.
Our journey began 8 years ago when Bella was born. We wanted to be surprised so we chose not to know whether we were having a boy or girl. Well, surprised we were when we were told we had a girl and she had Down syndrome. The news rocked our world - we had so many mixed emotions, but it was the uncertainty about what the diagnosis would mean for her future that we struggled with.
Like many families, our first connection with the MDSC was through the "Parents First Call Program." Having another parent reach out to us who could personally relate to the all the mixed emotions we were feeling was exactly what we needed.
Today, Bella is 8 years old, and she still comes up with new wonderful ways to rock our world. Meanwhile, the MDSC continues to be there for her and us. As she starts 2nd grade, she is reading and learning math, while also making beautiful connections with her classmates and demonstrating incredible independence.
Over the years, Bella's academic team and the MDSC have proved a powerful partnership. Very early on, at our suggestion, Bella's teachers started attending the MDSC's annual Educator's Forum in Worcester, getting the latest best practices from leading Down syndrome experts around the country.
In fact, it was at the Educator's Forum two years ago that Bella's teachers learned about sight-reading during one of the sessions. Immediately, they ordered the necessary materials to put what they learned in practice, and before long Bella became a reader and loves to read to others. This happened as a direct result from what Bella's team learned at the Educator's Forum!
As parents of two daughters, Bella and Violet, we have always felt it was important to set the bar high for both girls. That's why just like Violet and her peers, Bella too participates in extracurriculars - dance, soccer, and theater. Being fully included in these activities is what the MDSC advocates for.
But while we are doing everything we can to ensure Bella has the same opportunities as any other child her age, we know that government policies and funding play a huge role too. The MDSC has been there for us and so many others through their strong legislative efforts. This session, they are lobbying for legislation that would ban organ transplant discrimination and fund higher education opportunities. Before that, they helped pass major initiatives, the ABLE Act in Congress and the Real Lives Bill here in Massachusetts, giving people with disabilities and our families more options and more control over our funds and services. With these kinds of supports and opportunities to be included, we know Bella will continue to become both more independent and more of a natural part of her community.
Sure, our family's journey is different from what we had envisioned before being parents. Having a child with Down syndrome has impacted all members of our family and our closest friends. Ultimately, we are so grateful to be having experiences we never would have had otherwise, meeting people we wouldn't have met, and learning things we never would have if it weren't for our awesome community. We want to thank everyone for their support as we are on this journey, especially our families, we are truly blessed to have the love and support we have.
So please join us with your family to make a difference on Sept. 18 at Chauncy Lake in Westborough!
Like every MDSC Buddy Walk, funds raised will support critical MDSC programs and advocate for full, meaningful lives for our daughter Bella and thousands of others of individuals with Down syndrome across the state.
We hope to see you there!
All the best,
Jessica and Jim Padula
P.S. If you've already signed up for Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair, be sure to send the MDSC a photo of your loved one for their Imagine the Possibilities banner.
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Register for the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Central MA
Here
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Call for Photos from Team Captains!
Our Imagine the Possibilities banner
is in need of decorating, and we want photos of your loved ones with Down syndrome!
If you've signed-up for the Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair as a Team Captain, you have the opportunity to send in a photo of your loved one to go on our latest banner at the walk.
Team Captains, please e-mail a high-resolution .jpg image as an attachment to [email protected] by Friday, September 9. To become a Team Captain, register here. (Check out our How To videos for step-by-step registration instructions).
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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.
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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
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BUDDY WALK SUPPORTERS
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Austin Liquors
Westborough Civic Club
SG&D Insurance Agencies
J.W.P. Sales Inc.
Koopman Lumber
ERA - Tara Padula Cassery
Westborough Rotary Club
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Speech & Language Specialties,Inc.
St. Mary's Credit Union
TTE Laboratories
CA Senecal Electric Services
Bowditch & Dewey Attorneys
Commonwealth Mortgage Lending
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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.
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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 |
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