15-20 other brothers who took part in this
event put on our togas, and, even though it
was raining, still carried on for the cause.
Nathan Wiehe, another MoeJCL member
whose sister also has Down syndrome, said,
“It was just so huge that so many people came
out to support the cause, that that many
people volunteer to help the cause. We had
record numbers of attendees this year, and it
was great to see that.”
As for the cause of the event, all of the
proceeds for the Buddy Walk benefited the
Down Syndrome Association of Greater
Cincinnati. The first Buddy Walk was put on
in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome
Society. Since then, it has grown to the point
where there are Buddy Walks put on all over
the United States in order to raise awareness
as well as money for Down syndrome
associations as well as 501(c)3 non-profits
who specialize in this type of work. These
organizations in turn make the lives of
families affected by Down syndrome easier.
During the walk, I realized how much
Down syndrome was sort of pushed to the
side even though it’s a struggle that some
families are willing and ready to take every
day. This walk gives those people some of
the credit that they deserve and allows for
people to become more aware of the cause.
As our toga-wearing troops circled near
Sawyer Point, where a statue of Cincinnatus
stands tall, we got to see all the people who
came together for this amazing event:
families, friends, dancers, singers,
performers, people big and small, in an
inspiring display of solidarity. We were all
glad to be a part of it.
Although we got rained on, there is
not a single negative thing to say about
our local Buddy Walk. The atmosphere
was fantastic. We got to celebrate beautiful
people and we got the opportunity to
connect with our community and
represent something greater.
MoeJCL in front of the Cincinnatus statue: Front Row: Zack Lyon, Jonathan Pucke,
Logan Young, Jared Durgin, Magister Compton, Jake Grode, Teddy Bissmeyer,
Clayton Smith; Second Row: Ethan Collins, Jakob Loudon, John Hicks, Alex Rieth,
Michael Lichtenberg, Carson Bellamy. Back row: Nate Wiehe, Jude Bender, Zamir
Thoman, Michael Mercer.
Sign made for the two sisters, Elizabeth and Becca
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