About the Walk  •  Event Schedule  •  Donate  •  Sponsors  •  Schedule  •  Buddy Teams  •  Resource Tables

About the DSNO Buddy Walk®

We look forward to gathering together once again for the DSNO Buddy Walk® at Millennium Plaza Park in Lake Oswego on September 22nd, 2024!  Buddy Walk® is the premier advocacy event for Down syndrome in the U.S. and the most widely recognized public awareness program for the Down syndrome community globally, and the DSNO Buddy Walk® is DSNO’s primary and biggest fundraising effort of the year. Over 95% of funds raised stay in our local community.

Check out the video from DSNO Buddy Walk® 2022:

For more than 20 years, 501(c)(3) nonprofit Down Syndrome Network Oregon (DSNO) has hosted its annual Buddy Walk® event and fundraiser at Millennium Plaza Park on a Sunday in late September. The morning-to-afternoon event typically draws several hundred to nearly a thousand people in a celebration and gathering with friends, family, neighbors, classmates, volunteers and supporters 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 gather to welcome and connect new families into our local Down syndrome community, and this event is a great way to plug in, relax, meet others and show your support for your loved ones and their friends and be part of a positive, loving, inclusive community that welcomes all.

Funds raised at the DSNO Buddy Walk® support growing our infrastructure benefitting our local Down syndrome community (Portland-area, SW Washington, and Willamette Valley) to put on dozens of local DSNO programs year-round for hundreds of families, including: DSNOFit exercise class, DSNO dance clinics, Family Summer Kick-off, summer sports and dance camps, mom’s coffee and night out events, month hangouts for dads, Boo Bash, Jingle Ball, and many more.

Event Schedule

Coming Soon!

Donate

Donate to the 2024 DSNO Buddy Walk® by visiting our online registration/donation form.

The majority of fundraising for the DSNO Buddy Walk® is done prior to the event through Buddy Team fundraising, sponsorships, and other registrations/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.

Sponsors

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), and includes various benefits at each level.

Thank You DSNO Buddy Walk ® 2023 Sponsors

Buddy Teams

What is a Buddy Team? A Buddy Team is a group of people/organization that come together to support and cheer one or more individuals experiencing Down syndrome or other disability. Buddy Teams set up a team 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 then celebrate together at the event. Buddy Teams are included on the Buddy Teams Page.

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 our contact page.