Chatting With Allie

Allie Cowden is a self-described busy lady. When she’s not studying for her college class or downhill skiing at Cannonsburg Ski Resort, she splits her time between her CLS program and three jobs. One of those positions is as an Intern here at the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. Allie began interning with DSAWM over two years ago and has been a valuable part of the team ever since. DSAWM staff recently sat down with Allie to ask her about her daily routine and living life as a young adult with Down syndrome.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are downhill skiing, staying busy, working at Cookie Chicks, Shape-Up class, swimming, reading, dancing, hanging out with my friends, being with my family, and working at the Down Syndrome Association and McDonald’s.

What do you like about working?

I like to work on office work and different tasks at the Down Syndrome Association on Tuesdays. I also work at Cookie Chicks. I make the cookies and I do the fruit bouquets and sell those to the customers there and sometimes we do the deliveries. And I have a business card that says I’m the Production Manager. I go there every Monday. I work at McDonald’s and I clean the lobby-dining area. My favorite job is at Cookie Chicks because we listen to music while we are working. And we also make cookies and fruit bouquets. And it is tons of fun being there. And I like communicating with my coworkers while we are doing something together. Sometimes we make messes and at the end we clean everything and put stuff away where it belongs.

What programs would you like to see offered at the Down Syndrome Association?
Buddy Up tennis, Cooking Capers, Dance class, Shape-Up class, Yoga and Meditation Classes.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Every Monday I have Shape Up class. On Thursdays I have a college class at Noorthoek Academy and I have CLS. We do fun activities in the community like going to the library. We also work on my goals. My goals are cooking, money management, and socializing with friends. We talk about relationship building with others too. On Fridays I do exercises at home and strength-training. I also relax at home. On Sundays I take downhill skiing lessons at Cannonsburg Ski Resort. It’s called CCSA. I‘ve also been selected to be in the 2018 Fashion Show this year. I’m a busy lady.

How has your disability impacted you?

My disability has impacted my life. My friends have disabilities that have impacted their lives too. I love my disability because I have amazing friends who are supporting me and caring for me. They’re kind, caring, loving, and awesome. And we all like being unique, being creative, getting to know each other, collaborating with peers, and doing fun things. I accept my disability and my friends accept their disabilities.

What do you like about being a self-advocate?

I would like to be a public speaker just like Megan Bomgaars because she is a self-advocate too. She talks about Down syndrome. Her motto is, “Don’t limit me just because I have Down syndrome.” Advocate for yourself and don’t let other people tell you what to do. Let your voice be heard and show the world. Don’t let other people take away your power. Do things by yourself. Figure it out yourself and problem solve it!

What are your dreams and goals?

My goal is to grow as a team at Cookie Chicks. I also like communicating with the owner at the shop, but I need to improve on talking slower and not so fast. We set goals for each other and we also work on our time management. All of us at Cookie Chicks work to achieve our goals. I have different goals like food prep, household chores, daily living skills, community skills, transportation, and health and safety. That’s what I have for goals and me and my CLS are working on those goals. My dream is to move out and get a house with some of my friends. My dream job is to be a veterinarian’s helper and help with the animals, take care of them, play with them, and nurture them.

Step Up for Down Syndrome Raises Awareness

Attendance at DSAWM Step Up for Down Syndrome has grown over the past several years. In fact, after three consecutive years of record breaking fundraising and crowds well over 1,000 people, the event has become the largest Down syndrome awareness event in Michigan! This created some logistical problems – Step Up had grown too big for its previous location – Millennium Park. While DSAWM staff and Kent County Parks Department collaborated to address issues of gathering space, parking, electrical access, and environmental impact, the event had clearly reached capacity at the park. The Step Up for Down Syndrome Committee spent two years researching and planning to make big changes to Step Up that would allow it to continue to grow.

On Saturday, September 30th, all of that hard work paid off as 1,566 people came together for 2017 Step Up for Down Syndrome at John Ball Zoo. The largest crowd in DSAWM history enjoyed bounce houses, music, games, a puppet show, face painting, and refreshments before walking through the zoo. “It’s amazing to see West Michigan come together and show their support for friends and families with Down syndrome. I’m so excited to be a part of this community!” said Jennifer Richards DeVault, who joined DSAWM in July 2017 as Executive Director.

Step Up for Down Syndrome raised $141,340 for the programs and services provided by Michigan’s largest Down syndrome support organization – Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. The organization is 32 years old, and this was its 21st walk. The growth in attendance and funds raised is due to community participation. Corporate sponsors donate to cover the expenses for the event, and the rest is raised through thousands of donations collected online and in the community. “Our families are the best ambassadors for Down syndrome. They show West Michigan what life with Down syndrome is like everyday and their friends, and neighbors witness the value of that. They donate because they believe in people with Down syndrome,” said Jennifer. 79 teams were created honoring individuals with Down syndrome. The three teams that raised the most money, Kru’s Crew, Kynsee’s Krew, and Jessica’s Crew won spots for Kru, Kynsee and Jessica on a Down Syndrome Awareness Month billboard. The largest team, Kynsee’s Crew, also won a private screening of The Nut Job 2 at Celebration Cinema for their entire team.

There were several reasons DSAWM chose the zoo. Besides additional space, the zoo has a central location that is accessible by mass transit, and allows out-of-towners to make a day of it by enjoying the zoo’s exhibits and activities, as well as enjoying downtown Grand Rapids celebrated restaurants, museums, and Art Prize venues. It also adds appeal to families who may not have a close connection to Down syndrome. “A major goal of Step Up for Down Syndrome is to draw in the community-at-large and introduce them to their neighbors with Down syndrome and share with them their potential and the contributions they are making in West Michigan,” said DSAWM member Meredith Lange.

Click here to view pictures of 2017 Step Up for Down Syndrome.

Building on the idea of creating a unique, entertaining event celebrating Down syndrome, this year’s DSAWM Step Up for Down Syndrome will be held at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday, September 22, 2018 and will have a sports theme.

Bringing Home Sam

Erica Bode, Ada

“I want to adopt a child,” I told my husband over the phone while running errands. “I want to adopt a child with Down syndrome. Actually, there is this beautiful boy on the Reece’s Rainbow adoption site who I am in love with.”

I have replayed this conversation many times since adopting our sweet Armenian, Sam. Sam was born in Armenia, given up at birth, and lived in an orphanage for four years before we brought him home in 2016.

Before we started the adoption process I knew nothing about Down syndrome. My heart always gravitated towards the beautiful Down syndrome children with almond eyes, chubby fingers, and a gap between the big toe and the rest of the toes. I knew nothing more about Down syndrome then what meets the eye. I knew nothing about raising a child with special needs. And I knew nothing about what it meant to become a parent of a special needs child. And here’s a little secret I’ll share with you – after having Sam for almost two years I am still learning what all this means.

My husband and I had great aspirations of bringing Sam home and changing the life of this little boy. But we never realized just how much we would change. We never realized how much we needed to change to raise this little boy. Sam has made great progress since April 2016, but our parenting had to change to help him be successful. We soon realized that we needed a team of people to help us. We couldn’t do it alone. This new parenting style required us to be vulnerable, humble, and intentional. We surrounded ourselves with some great therapists, enlisted family to provide us with much needed respite, and thanked our lucky stars for some amazing teachers and teaching staff who loved our kid even when he was hard to love. And lastly, we sought out an adoption counselor who helped change our mindset on what it means to be a parent, an adoptive parent, and a special needs parent to a boy who didn’t ask for any of this.

We are still learning, we don’t have all the answers. But the great thing is – we don’t have to. We are grateful for the other parents who share their stories and life lessons. We can only hope to one day pay it forward to the couple who is considering adopting a beautiful child with Down syndrome.

Photo credit: Sydney Kelley Photography

An Inclusive College Experience

Emily Perton, Holland

Recently I was taking a walk through Hope College’s campus. As I walked, I came across a mentor from the Ready for Life program. We talked about how she had been listening to the Hope College radio station and heard one of the Ready for Life students broadcasting his weekly radio show. She asked me about a graduate from last year, and I had the pleasure of sharing how she was employed and living with some other graduates of Ready for Life. We parted ways, and I kept walking. I soon encountered one of the Ready for Life students hurrying to get to her dance class. I walked on and came across a Hope College professor who shared he was eager for basketball season to get started and how thankful he was to have one of the Ready for Life guys help out with the team. I ended my walk at the Ready for Life classroom where ten Ready for Life students and five mentors were playing board games on a Friday afternoon. In my ten-minute walk across campus, I was able to see the effect of the Ready or Life program!

Ready for Life Academy provides an inclusive college experience for adults with intellectual disabilities at both Hope and Calvin College. The program was established to provide an inclusive transition option for students ages 18-26. This Spring we have 12 students at Hope College and 5 students at Calvin College. The students audit two college classes each semester. They also take life-skill/transition classes taught by a certified special education teacher. They volunteer on campus or out in the community starting their sophomore year in the 4-year program. On top of the educational experience, the students also gain social skills through relationships with mentors on campus. Each semester between the two campuses we have 30-40 college students who mentor the Ready for Life students. The students engage in many different clubs and activities on the campus. The program gives individuals the opportunity to receive a full college experience that they may otherwise have missed out on.

At Ready for Life we desire to give students a place where they belong. We want them to know that they make a difference and that when they are absent, we miss them. Once the students feel connected to the college community, they believe in themselves and learn how to become independent adults. Throughout their four years in the program they gain the skills necessary to achieve the two goals of the Ready for Life: independent living and paid employment.

As a mother of two young boys with Down syndrome and the Executive Director of Ready for Life, I desire for my sons to have an enriched life with every opportunity available to them. I must admit when we adopted our oldest son with Down syndrome we didn’t think about him attending college. I am not sure if we thought much past kindergarten when he was twenty-one months. But now as he, nine years old, and his brother, six years old, are attending school with their peers and experiencing inclusion, I envision them experiencing college life following high school. The requirements needed to get into the Ready for Life program are now the long-term goals we share at their IEP meetings. Our boys see themselves on a college track. Nico is determined to go to Calvin and Gus is determined to go to Hope – apparently, we will be a house divided.

If you are interested in learning more about your child’s future as a college student, check out the Ready for Life program at rflnetwork.org or come to our Visit Day at Calvin College on Friday, March 9, 2018.

Thinking Outside of the Box

Katrina Curtis, Byron Center

When my daughter Cora was two years old she was still struggling with lack of physical strength, muscle coordination, and core muscle use. She was receiving PT and OT, but we were both frustrated with the results. Cora was doing the same thing over and over at every visit with little improvement. It didn’t help that I would diligently work with her between those therapy sessions on the homework the therapists gave me. I was being a great mama and helping my child improve, right? YES, I was being a good mama, but I was also boring my daughter to the point of frustrated tears on both our parts. I was so focused on her achieving the goals that were given to her that I totally ignored what was literally right in front of my face.

You see, I have been a professional horse trainer for over 30 years and with the birth of my daughter Cora I had taken a step back and cut down on the number of clients and horses that I had in training at my facility every month. Don’t get me wrong, I still rode and worked with others, but Cora was the new priority. She would often be in the in the house during most of my horse related sessions. Once she was strong enough, I brought her out to a play pen near the arena. It was seeing Cora light up while she watched the horses that gave me the idea to get her ON a horse.

You’d think that having her on a horse would have been my first inclination. The adage is true though, that we often don’t see what is right in front of our eyes. Cora started riding a horse after she received the required neck x-ray from the pediatrician. I felt like a failure and a success at the same time. A failure that I hadn’t tried this sooner, and a success because I finally did get Cora on a horse.

Long story short – Cora’s physical strength and core strength increased with the use of a four-legged friend that whinnies. She would ride at a walk gait with a side walker and I would lead the horse while giving Cora little tasks to complete. For half an hour at a time, life was filled with laughter, a child, and a walking horse. I immediately saw improvement in Cora’s strength and coordination.

How? It’s called Equine Hippotherapy and here’s how it works. A horse has a walking gait which mimics a human’s walking gait. As the horse walks and the child rides the horse, the movement that works through the body of the child is the same as the child physically walking. The brain does not process that the child is riding a horse. It instead processes the movements as physically walking and therefore the muscles respond in the same way. Cora is 6 years old now and is still riding horses. The physical strength and coordination this kind of play offers has been wonderful for Cora’s progress.

One of the greatest blessings that this journey with Down syndrome continues to teach me is to look outside of the box for the answers that Cora needs. After all, Cora doesn’t do anything the usual way. She traditionally finds her own way and achieves a goal in her own time. Another thing this journey has taught me: Cora will achieve any task handed to her if given the respect to achieve it in her own time.

If you are stuck in a rut with your kiddo’s therapy, think outside of the box. A task usually has at least five ways of getting it done. Society has taught us that there are only two ways to do something – the right way and the wrong way. I encourage you to shake that theory up a little bit just like our kiddos do daily. That extra chromosome they were born with? It comes with a “thinking outside of the box”, “watch while I do it upside down and sideways” genetic makeup. It’s a positive attribute in a stringent world.

Down syndrome is a blessing which allows us parents many opportunities to walk along side our kiddos and ENJOY life – one moment at a time. But, we should remain open to the unseen blessing that will be delivered in a different way. And if a horse is involved, even better!

Katrina Curtis and her husband Scott live in Byron Center, Michigan on a few acres they call We-N-Us Ranch. Their slogan is “Where Courageous Kids and Special Horses rub elbows”. If you would like more information on Equine Hippotherapy and getting your child involved, you may contact Katrina on her Facebook page or email her at plexuskatrina@gmail.com.

“My Hero Brother” is funny, touching and true-to-life – Tom Hackett, DSAWM President

Compliments of The Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids, several members the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan attended a Monday, May 1, 2017 motion picture at The Jewish Film Festival. The film was about a difficult but successful mountain climbing adventure by people with Down syndrome and their sisters and brothers. At the end of the film at Celebration! Cinema North viewing of My Hero Brother, James Cook, DSAWM Foundation board member, and Freddy, his brother with Down syndrome, told the audience about their lifelong relationship and their travels as adult siblings to China, Paris, and Rome. Their stories aligned beautifully with those in “My Hero Brother,” exemplifying the unique relationship between people with Down syndrome and their siblings.

Israeli writer and director Yonatan Nir crafted this 78-minute film about a bonding experience among female and male adult siblings and their adult sisters and brothers with Down syndrome. In the film, these amateur mountain climbers traveled from Tel Aviv to India to spend two-weeks in the Himalayas.

As Yonatan Nir explains, he hopes the viewers of his film will undergo an experience that will change the way of looking at the main characters – not as ill-fated people who have been given a chance to experience a brief release from suffering, but rather as human beings blessed with qualities many of us yearn to have, struggling with their limitations in an highly admirable and courageous way, and with the ability to open the hearts of those around them and turn them into better human beings.

The experience for the viewers, particularly those of us who are people with Down syndrome or their family members, is funny, touching, and very familiar. Some highlights:

One sibling says, when his mountain climbing brother with Down syndrome cries in frustration and exhaustion, “I’ll dry your tears. You don’t need paper. I’m your paper, here. Wipe everything on me.”
See the intensely blue Himalayan sky and hear one mountain climber tell his brother his Mommy is up there.
Listen to a sibling promise his brother with Down syndrome that there will be a village at the top of the mountain and the two them will share a cola—a cold Coke.

I encourage you to find a time and place to view this film. I believe it will remind you of part of the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan mission in which we are “promoting public awareness and supporting lifelong opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.”

Inside Outing | Unique Golf Outing Raises Money for Down Syndrome

On Friday, February 3rd, 120 people competed in The Inside Outing – an indoor mini-golf tournament at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Grand Rapids. Presented by Godwin Plumbing, the event offered not only a reprieve from chilly temps, but also an opportunity to raise money to support people with Down syndrome – more than $12,000 was raised for the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (DSAWM). DSAWM provides more than 300 West Michigan families experiencing Down syndrome with educational, emotional and financial support.

The unique event provides a fun opportunity during Michigan’s February doldrums. The one of a kind course went above and beyond your typical mini-golf experience. There were special holes like the “Foot Wedge Hole” (putting with your foot), the “Happy Gilmore Hole” (putting with a hockey stick), and “Batters Up” (putting with a baseball bat) that kept things interesting. And title sponsor Godwin Plumbing redefined “circling the drain” with their hole.

There were awards as well. Team Maggie May won championship belts as well as a gift certificate to Treetops Resort. The runner up was Team Vladimir Putting, who won registrations for the Inflatable 5k and GR on Tap. Scott Brew took home a Grand Rapids Staycation Package for the longest putt. Kasi Meyer won for closest to the pin blindfolded and the Boobie Prize went to none other than DSAWM Program Director Katherine Key Griswold. “I may have had the lowest score,” said Katherine, “but I had a lot of fun for a great cause, so I still won.”

Perhaps the most amazing thing about The Inside Outing is that the event was funded by local business and planned and executed by a group of West Michigan fathers who are raising children with Down syndrome. It was a lot of work, but worth it, according to committee member Jim Leach: “We had volunteers for the event to help with everything from set up, registration, help during the event, and clean up – including people who have Down syndrome. We were able to introduce a lot of people to the DSAWM as well as some self-advocates with Down syndrome. Everyone had a great time and is looking forward to next year.”

Inside Outing Sponsors

Godwin Plumbing
AdTegrity
Maple Hill Golf
Mika Meyers
Plante Moran
Oliver Van Dyke
Raymond James

Inside Outing Committee

Rob Arnold
Tom Hackett
Sean Igoe
Rich Kloeckner
Jim Leach
Brad Rivard
Aaron Weisenborn

Dear Betsy DeVos | A mother’s message to the President’s pick for Education Secretary

Dear Ms. DeVos,

I know that you and your family care about children. I live and work in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the contributions of the DeVos family are evident throughout our community. That is why I’m reaching out to you today, one mother to another.

As a parent of a child with Down syndrome and special education advocate, it was difficult to hear you respond to Senator Kain’s questions about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with seemingly little understanding of the law that protects my son’s right to an education. Ms. DeVos, I’d like to explain, from my perspective, why so many of us have expressed concern over your response to the Senator’s questions regarding the IDEA. I hope this can be the start of a larger discussion about the benefits and protections for children that the Department of Education oversees through its implementation and enforcement of the IDEA.

The IDEA is the landmark civil rights law that protects the right of America’s children with disabilities to receive an adequate education. Note that I did not write “an exceptional education” as most parents would assume is the right of every child in our public school system. The Endrew F. case before the current Supreme Court is worth a read to see what kind of low bar we are actually talking about protecting. One day, we hope to have an education system that sets the same expectations for all students and provides the necessary supports to achieve that. The IDEA is the foundation for that future and is the only thing that stands between our children and an education with trivial to no benefit.

The law was first enacted as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, and ensures access to a free appropriate public education for all disabled children. FAPE, as it is known, was not always the law of the land. Prior to 1975, it is estimated that nearly 1 million children with disabilities were excluded from school (Wright & Wright, 2014). In 1970, US schools educated only one in five students with disabilities and many states had laws that strictly excluded children with disabilities from school (US Department of Education, 2010). Because of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which later became the IDEA, schools have had to open their doors to students with disabilities and adhere to the concepts of FAPE, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), high expectations and inclusion in the general education environment, to the maximum extent appropriate to receive federal funding through the IDEA.

Before this landmark legislation, there was no assumption that students with disabilities would even be allowed in the school building. I can’t imagine being told that my beautiful, funny, compassionate and smart son is not welcome in his neighborhood school. Can you imagine someone telling you that? Today, not only has access been dramatically improved, but so have outcomes. The 2004 reauthorization of the IDEA states,

“Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible, in order to meet developmental goals and, to the maximum extent possible, the challenging expectations that have been established for all children and be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible (20USC §1400(c)(5)(A)(i) and (ii)).”

To further cite the department you now lead,

“…significant national progress has been made in ensuring equal access to education for all children with disabilities. During the 2007-08 school year, IDEA mandated programs and services were provided to more than 6 million children and youths with disabilities and more than 320,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families” (US Department of Education, 2010).

In a study of nearly 3,000 preschoolers receiving early intervention through IDEA mandated programs, results indicated that there was an approximate reduction of 16 percent per year in the number of children receiving special education and related services over a two year period because they no longer required special education (US Department of Education, 2010). The IDEA has proven that early intervention works to benefit our most academically vulnerable children and help reduce the economic impact of educating those students throughout their educational career. It is also worth noting that, beyond school, the positive economic impact of a self-sufficient, independent adult in the community far outweighs the cost in the early years to provide special education and related services.

The IDEA also ensures that children with disabilities will be educated in their least restrictive environment (LRE). Before the protections of IDEA came into being, even when students with disabilities were allowed into the school, they were largely educated in segregated settings. This resulted in low expectations and poor outcomes for students with disabilities. There is an ever-growing mountain of research that demonstrates that educating students in the general education environment, with appropriate aids and services, is the most effective location for the majority of students with disabilities. The research shows that including students, to the maximum extent appropriate, in general education classrooms has several benefits – and not just for those with disabilities:

Fewer absences from school
Fewer referrals for disruptive behavior
Better outcomes after high school in the areas of employment and independent living (Wagner, Newman, Cameto, & Levine, 2006)
For students with high incidence disabilities, a larger percentage make gains in academics in the general education environment than in segregated, self-contained classrooms(Waldron, Cole, & Majd, 2001)
The presence of students with disabilities in a general education classroom resulted in better outcomes in reading and math for nondisabled students compared to their nondisabled peers in fully segregated environments (Waldron, Cole, & Majd, 2001)

Additionally, the protections of the IDEA extend to charter schools. I understand that you are a strong advocate for school choice and the charter school movement. I wonder how, without the protections of the IDEA, we can ensure equal access to students with disabilities? With the seemingly sole focus of administrators to get and keep student test scores high, it seems there would be a clear disincentive to welcome and educate students with disabilities – particularly those with intellectual disabilities – if the IDEA is not enforced in all schools receiving federal funding. I worry about a post-IDEA, charter school world where my son would be left to linger in a public school that receives little funding due to its low enrollment because all others who could, fled to schools where they were welcomed and my son was denied access because of his disability. The end result would surely be a return to a fully segregated school system for those with disabilities. To be clear, families like mine still must fight battles in our schools, even with the protections of the IDEA. However, without the strict enforcement of the IDEA, we would be setting our kids with disabilities back 40 years.

The IDEA doesn’t address all the barriers to a quality education for our children and it can be difficult to navigate, but it protects the most basic rights of our children to an education and the U.S. Secretary of Education should understand and strongly enforce it. I urge you to reconsider your comments made at your confirmation hearing. Please reach out to the large and welcoming disability community and engage us in this conversation. We want you to be successful, but many of us fear that your lack of experience in the world of special education paired with your advocacy for school of choice, vouchers and charter schools will result in our children being left behind again. It doesn’t have to be that way. Please work with us to ensure that the enforcement of the IDEA remains consistent and strong so that our children may continue to make the academic and social gains that are promised to every child in this country.

Respectfully yours,

Amanda Rhines

References

US Department of Education. (2010). Thirty-five Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA. Alexandria, VA: ED Pubs, Education Publications Center.

Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., & Levine, P. (2006). The Academic Achievement and Functional Performance of Youth with Disbilities: A Report from The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS@). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

Waldron, N., Cole, C., & Majd, M. (2001). The academic progress of students across inclusive and traditional settings: A two year Indiana inclusion study. Bloomington, IN: Indiana Institute on Disability & Community.

Wright, P. W., & Wright, P. D. (2014). Special Education Law, 2nd Edition. Harbor House Law Press.

Rock Your Socks at the World Down Syndrome Day Sock Hop

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is is a global Down syndrome awareness day recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. WDSD is observed on the 21st day of the 3rd month, in honor of the triplication of the 21st chromosome that causes Down syndrome.

West Michigan WDSD Celebration

The Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan will host the local festivities at their World Down Syndrome Day Sock Hop. The family friendly event is open to the community and features music and dancing, refreshments, balloon animals and a costume contest.

The dance will be held in the ballroom of the Grand Rapids Masonic Center, thanks to a partnership with Grand Rapids #34 Masonic Lodge F. & A.M. The night will have a nostalgic theme with the ballroom transformed into the gym of Rydell High from Grease.

Bring your dancing shoes! From 6 to 7 pm, bop to authentic Sock Hop tunes. From 7 to 8 pm, the music transitions to family-friendly pop. There will also be balloon animals, a “Selfie Station” photo booth, and refreshments. Don’t forget your poodle skirt or leather jacket for a chance to win the costume contest for the best sock hop attire!

WDSD Sock Hop
Tuesday, March 21 | 6-8 pm
Grand Rapids Masonic Center Ballroom
233 Fulton St E | Grand Rapids

Lots of Socks

DSAWM encourages everyone to participate in the international Lots of Socks campaign by wearing mismatched or wild socks on World Down Syndrome Day. When some asks about your socks, you can tell them about your experience with Down syndrome. Ask coworkers and classmates to do the same in honor of an awesome person with Down syndrome.

Commit Kindness

While each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual with complex feelings and thoughts, you can’t help but notice that many people with an extra 21st chromosome tend to have a positive outlook. In honor of the positive impact people with Down syndrome have in our community each day, DSAWM supporters are asked to commit “random acts of kindness” on World Down Syndrome Day. Pay for someone’s gas, pick up litter, or drop of cookies at your local senior center – big or small acts can make a difference. You can download your random acts of kindness cards here (print double sided).

Share your WDSD celebrations by posting with #DSAWM and #WDSD.

DSAWM Offers Free Programs For Families Experiencing Down Syndrome

It’s time to renew your DSAWM membership! To better serve the Down syndrome community, DSAWM is offering free programs to for our families experiencing Down syndrome. Bike Camp, Cooking Capers, therapeutic playgroups, Shape Up, Aging With Down Syndrome, self-advocate leadership training, and so much more will be free with family membership! DSAWM offers membership levels for everyone. Our membership costs are kept low to ensure access for everyone. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact our office at (616)956-3488 or april@dsawm.org about a membership dues waiver. To support DSAWM programs and services at a higher level, you may make an additional donation with your dues.

In-Area Family Membership – $25

Individuals with Down syndrome and their immediate family members who live in Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Ottawa or Van Buren counties are eligible for this membership level. This membership includes FREE access to DSAWM’s programs, services, resources, and financial assistance! In-Area Family Members are the only voting members of DSAWM, selecting DSAWM Board of Directors and voting on issues presented at the annual meeting (each family casts one vote). To start or renew an In-Area Family Membership, click here.

Out-Of-Area Family Membership – $20

Individuals with Down syndrome and their immediate family members who live outside DSAWM’s twelve-county service area are eligible for this membership level. This membership includes FREE access to DSAWM’s programs, services and resources (Out-of-Area members do not qualify for financial assistance). To start or renew an Out-of-Area Family Membership, click here.

Community Member – FREE

Friends, neighbors, extended family and professionals are invited to join the DSAWM community and receive news about Down syndrome and information on upcoming programs by joining our mailing list. To join the DSAWM community, click here.

Supporter

Click here to make a donation to support West Michigan families experiencing Down syndrome.