Help Jack's Pack! Walk The Walk Saturday At Hammonasset Beach State Park!

The 2nd Annual Charity Dart Tournament was held at the Maloney's home in Madison last Saturday night. The players who came paid an entrance fee, which will be donated to the CT Down Syndrome Congress (CDSC) in the name of the Lyons' family team... "Jack's Pack."

Over 20 dart teams played late into the night to help Jack's team and to have some fun. The dart tournament earned over $1,000 for the Jack's Pack Team.

The charity, which helps with research and services to aid families dealing with Down Syndrome is holding its annual fundraising Buddy Walk this weekend at Hammonasset State Park. If you would like to donate to Jack's Pack, any other team, or to the CDSC itself, please go to www.ctdownsydrome.org/donate.

Here is some addiitonal information about the buddy walk coming up this weekend at Hammonasset Beach State Park:

The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to bring together a wide range of concerned individuals to promote awareness of and inclusion for people with DS and to raise funds for education, research and advocacy programs. The CDSC Buddy Walk is a gentle one-mile walk along the shoreline at Hammonasset State Park with spectacular views of Long Island Sound. A fun-filled family picnic, the events of the day include food, games, face-painting, and live music.

Registration 11:00am
Opening Ceremonies 11:45am
Walk the Walk! 12 noon

One in every 691 babies is born with Down syndrome. There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States. Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 y.o. in 1983 to 60 today and most people with Down syndrome lead healthy lives.
People with Down syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways. All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses.

Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care, and positive support from family, friends and the community enable people with Down syndrome to develop their full potential and lead fulfilling lives. Researchers are making great strides in identifying the genes on Chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. Many feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.