Saturday was a day I’d been anticipating for a long time – my family’s first time at the Buddy Walk for the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association. We came out to walk and support our friends Paul, Jessica, Jay, and Baby Joy. Joy was born this past April with Down Syndrome, and when I found out Paul and Jess were going to form a Buddy Walk team, I knew immediately I should get involved! With your help, I raised $599 for the people living in my area with Down Syndrome! And our team, Team Peace, Love, & Joy raised over $3,000! Woooohoooo! We were also the #7 fundraising team for the whole walk! Not bad for a first-year effort, right!?
The Buddy Walk was downtown at our beautiful minor-league baseball stadium, the Dayton Dragons Fifth Third Field. It was a rainy morning so we couldn’t get out on the field, but fortunately it cleared up right before we were set to walk! So we walked around the concourse and had a great time and a gorgeous day. We LOVED hanging out with our team! Here’s Bobby, Jonah and I with Joy Marie, the star of the show!
And here’s me with Joy and her awesome & beautiful mom, Jess:
Here are some more fun pics of our day at the Buddy Walk:
I cannot tell you how proud I was to be a part of Team Peace, Love, & Joy to support this sweet family and all the wonderful families of the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association! I also wanted to give big props to my friend Jen, whose team in honor of her 5-year-old daughter Emmaline and her niece Kayla, was the #4 top fundraising team! I’ve known Jen and her hubby since high school and Emmaline and Sophie are the same age and used to go to the same speech therapist. I’ve loved watching Emmy grow and learn and just be generally awesome. She has a really awesome mom, dad, big brother and sister, too!
My favorite part about the Buddy Walk was just seeing all the happy, excited families there. Everyone was so joyful and proud and the mood was just celebratory and fun! No one was there crying about their lot in life parenting a child with a disability. Everyone was thrilled to be celebrating their families, raising awareness, and raising money to help get their kiddos the funds they need to reach their full potential. It was, as I like to say, TOTES awesome. Totes! I was super-proud to have my family involved and I can’t wait til next year!
Thanks so much to everyone who supported my fundraising efforts, from my $5 Friends to my $100 Friends, you all made this possible, and I really cannot thank you enough for helping to make a difference in the lives of some pretty rockin’ people right here in my hometown.
THANK YOU!!!
This makes me even more proud to be your Uncle!
UP
We are so blessed to have people like you supporting our family! Thanks for spotlighting our team. Hope to see you back next year!
Jenny what an amazing post!!! Thank you so much for being there with us on Sat! We are so blessed by your support. Ok I can’t see to type anymore!!! Xoxo
Jenny,
You are such an incredible young woman! I am so happy I had the opportunity to meet you at the Buddy Walk! It is obvious that you and your husband are exceptional role models for your children. I am overwhelmed by your loving and generous spirit! Thank you for being such a supportive friend to Paul and Jessica and quite frankly to all parents of special needs children.
Joy’s Grandma and Bebe thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Meant to comment yesterday, but I forgot! I wanted to tell you how cool it was to see this posted on the day of my aunt’s 46th birthday. My aunt was born with down syndrome also. We had a great time celebrating her life as well!! Loved the pictures of sweet baby Joy!