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About the DSNO Buddy Walk

We are very excited to once again welcome our community to the DSNO Buddy Walk at Millennium Plaza Park in Lake Oswego on September 22nd!  Buddy Walk®, established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society, is the premier advocacy event to celebrate Down syndrome awareness in the U.S., and the most widely recognized public awareness program for the Down syndrome community globally. The DSNO Buddy Walk is not only a celebration, it’s also our primary fundraiser of the year, with over 97% of funds raised staying in the local community.

Check out the video from DSNO Buddy Walk 2022:

For 23 years, Down Syndrome Network Oregon, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has hosted our annual DSNO Buddy Walk celebration and fundraiser on a Sunday in late September. DSNO draws nearly a thousand people in a celebratory gathering of friends, family, neighbors, classmates, volunteers, supporters, and community members around several dozen Buddy Teams. The DSNO Buddy Walk is a high-energy, fun-filled gathering appropriate for all ages, featuring activities and vendors, a brief program, a short, accessible group walk, lunch, time for gathering and socializing, music and dance performances, and a community resource fair. Each year we welcome and connect new families into our community that serves those who experience Down syndrome or another disability and their families. This event is a great way to plug in, relax, meet others, and show your support for your loved ones and their friends while being part of a positive, loving, inclusive community that welcomes all.

Funds raised at the DSNO Buddy Walk are used for maintaining and expanding our programming that benefits our local community, including families in the Portland metro area, SW Washington, and the Willamette Valley. DSNO uses these funds to connect, embrace, and celebrate our community, primarily through year-round programming for over a hundred individuals and their families, including: baskets of hope for new parents, playgroups for ages 0-5, regular fitness and skill-building classes, summer sports and dance camps, monthly gatherings and an annual retreat for both moms and dads, and regular gatherings for all ages including the Family Summer Kickoff, Boo Bash, Caroling Bus, Jingle Ball, and many more.

Registration is required for the event, and the majority of fundraising for the DSNO Buddy Walk is done prior to the event through Buddy Team fundraising, sponsorships, and other registrations and donations.  We also provide opportunities to donate at the event, and we encourage everyone who is planning to make individual donations to donate through a Buddy Team to help them meet fundraising milestones and earn prizes.

Event Schedule

9:00 – 10:30AM

• Registration Open
• Activities + Vendors
  • Bizzy the Clown
  • Blue Lotus Henna Tattoos
  • Donut Days
  • Lake Oswego Fire Truck
  • Mystique Fancy Faces Face Painting
  • Stumptown Photobooth
• Community Partner Resource Tables
  • Every Body Athletics
  • FACT Oregon
  • GiGi’s Playhouse
  • North Pole Studio
  • NW Disability Network
  • Specialty Athletic Training
  • That 1 Painter
  • W.A.G. SNAX

10:30AM – Opening Festivities and Walk

• Welcome and kick-off with emcee Nora Hart of KPTV12
• DSNO Highlights + Special Recognition
• Performances
• Introduction of Buddy Teams
• Group Picture/Video
• Walk Begins

11:45AM(ish)

• Lunch (Burgers, Hot Dogs, Salad) – Thank you Lake Oswego Lions Club!

12:00 – 3:00PM

• Activities + Vendors (continued)
• Community Partner Resource Tables (continued)
• Dance party!

Sponsors

Businesses, families, and individuals are invited to sponsor the DSNO Buddy Walk. Do you know of a business or individual who you think would make a great sponsor? Please send their contact info and we will reach out with an invitation, or forward this email so they can reach out to us. Sponsorship is a great way to show your support for DSNO, offset the expenses for the event, and raise funds to support ongoing programs. Community memberships start at $500, with additional levels of Bronze ($1,000), Silver ($2,000), Gold ($3,000), and Platinum ($5,000), including a variety of benefits at each level.

Thank You DSNO Buddy Walk 2024 Sponsors

Register or Donate

Registration is required for the event, which starts at 9am featuring local vendor and resource tables, with the official program and walk to follow at 10:30am. To register, click the button below for our secure, online form. Registration is $20 per participant and t-shirts are available for pre-order and pickup at the event for an additional fee. All are welcome regardless of ability to pay, and we provide scholarships to anyone in need. Please reach contact us to request a scholarship.

Donations are also accepted using our secure, online form.

Buddy Teams

A Buddy Team is a group of people that come together to support and cheer on one or more individuals who experience Down syndrome or another disability. While Buddy Teams are best known to be created by families, groups and organizations are also encouraged to start a teams. Buddy Team owners build a team page on the DSNO website, use outreach and social media to encourage friends and peers to join the event and/or make a donation to DSNO on the team’s behalf, and gather in celebration at the event.

Buddy Teams are featured on our Buddy Teams Page, and anyone may create a Team Page. Buddy Teams are celebrated during the event on the big screen and on signs throughout the walk, and earn special recognition for various fundraising goals.

Create your Buddy Team today by clicking the button below! It’s very easy and only takes a couple minutes.

Resource Tables

Organizations and businesses who would like to connect with our local Down syndrome community are invited to host a resource table at the event ($75 for non-profit, $150 for businesses). Know of an organization you think would benefit by hosting a resource table at this year’s DSNO Buddy Walk, or that our community would benefit by having a presence? Please refer them to us on our contact page.