Buddy Walk

As the excitement begins to build for the Third Annual DSAL Buddy Walk, the link for electronic registration is now available.

Click here to register for the 2006 DSAL Buddy Walk. You can register as an individual, join a team or form your own team. You can also track our progress as we look to meet and exceed our financial goals for this year's event.

Come join the fun, the 2006 Buddy Walk will include:
- Jump castles
- Carnival games with prizes
- Hot dogs (and a hot dog eating contest!)
- Face painting
- Balloon sculptures
- Sno cones
- Music by DJ Gonzo
- and much, much more!

The festivities and on-site registration begins at 2PM, the walk begins at 3PM and the fun continues till 5PM. DON'T MISS IT!!

History of Buddy Walk

Over the last eleven years, the national Buddy Walk has flourished into the premier advocacy event for Down syndrome and has become a major platform for inclusion in communities across the country. Here is a stroll down memory lane to show how the program has grown in the past ten years.

1995

• The National Down Syndrome Society establishes the Buddy Walk to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome and to celebrate October, National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
• Buddy Walks take place in 17 locations across the United States. Chris Burke leads the flagship New York City Buddy Walk. The premiere advocacy event for Down syndrome is off to a great start!

1999

• The National Down Syndrome Society introduces the Times Square Video to raise acceptance and inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome.
• The Buddy Walk adds a fundraising component to raise money for local and national programs and services.

2001

• NDSS introduces a new Buddy Walk logo, the familiar blue and yellow graphic with a family holding hands.
• The Wal-mart commercial featuring footage of the walk in Colorado Springs, Colorado first airs and is instrumental in the growth of the Buddy Walk program.
• Over 100 Buddy Walks take place during this year.

2002

• John C. McGinley joins NDSS as the National Buddy Walk Spokesman, providing significant national visibility for the program.
• The first BuddyWalk.org site is launched.
• The first comprehensive Buddy Walk Manual for walk organizers is distributed.

2003

• NDSS further demonstrates its support for the growing Buddy Walk program by designating it as one of the Society's five key strategic initiatives for the coming years and hiring a National Buddy Walk Coordinator to oversee the direction of the program and assist local organizers.
• The Buddy Walk logo is trademarked by NDSS.
• More than 190 Buddy Walks take place in 49 states and 5 countries.
• More than 180,000 people participate in Buddy Walks.
• More than $2.5 million is raised for national education, research and advocacy programs, as well as local programs and services.

2004

• DSAL hosts the First Annual Buddy Walk for the South Carolina lowcountry!
• NDSS celebrates 10 years of the Buddy Walk!
• Over the past 10 years, more than 955,000 people have participated in the Buddy Walk.
• BuddyWalk.org is re-launched with new tools and features for walkers and organizers.
• More than 214 Buddy Walks took place (at least one in each state), involving more than 200,000 people and raising more than $4.5 million for local and national education, research and advocacy programs.

2005

• DSAL hosts the Second Annual Buddy Walk at Etiwan Park on Daniel Island.