‘Buddy Walk’ in Chip-A-Waters Park to promote Down syndrome awareness

Chip-A-Waters Park will be filled with people Sunday to raise awareness for Down syndrome.

The Buddy Walk will start at 1 p.m., with registration starting at 11 a.m.

Last year was the first year for the Buddy Walk, and it had a bigger turn out then what was expected.

“We were expecting 60 or 70 (people) but we had over 250 show up.” said Sheryl Hyman of the Central Michigan Down Syndrome Society.

She said Mount Pleasant is not very aware of Down syndrome or support groups, and she hopes to get more people involved this year.

“(It is) to make people aware that our children are productive members of society,” she said. “Our children do grow up and hold jobs and live fairly independently.”

The Buddy Walk consists of a walk that is a little less than a mile long. After the walk is done, participants come to park and have a picnic which includes a DJ and inflatable’s for the kids.

Money raised from this event goes to the Central Michigan Down Syndrome Society, a support group that Sheryl and Joby Hyman started in Mount Pleasant after having their daughter, Elizabeth, who has Down syndrome.

With the money raised, they put together parent packs and gave them to new parents in the group, which includes educational material on Down syndrome. The group also gets to travel to events and conferences about Down syndrome with the money raised.

The Buddy Walk means a lot to the Hyman family. After they had Elizabeth, they adopted a little girl, Lily, who also has Down syndrome. Sheryl Hyman said the walk is a celebration of her kids.

Barb Grajek, a physical therapist for the Early On program, attended the Buddy Walk last year. She feels the walk brings a lot of awareness to Down syndrome because it shows what Down syndrome really is.

“It breaks down stereotypes,” Grajek said.

Carrie Olson, a Central Michigan University alumna and a mother of three children — including an 11-year-old with Down syndrome — also attended the event last year. Olson is also a member of the Central Michigan Down Syndrome Society and a speech therapist for the Early On program. She said the walk is very helpful.

“(The walk) helps parents network,” Olson said. “You meet a variety of people.”

The park is located at 1403 W. High St.

For more information on The Buddy Walk and Central Michigan Down Syndrome Society, visit centralmichigandss.org.