About Buddy Walks

The DSSGC Columbia Basin Buddy Walk is one of the many buddy walks being held around the world.  The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.  The Buddy Walk has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to over 250 walks planned for 2015 worldwide.  In 2014, there were more than 315,000 participants raising nearly $13 million to benefit local programs and services, as well as the national advocacy and public awareness initiatives of NDSS that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome. http://www.ndss.org/Buddy-Walk/#sthash.vov5N6M5.dpuf

DSSGC Columbia Basin Buddy Walk

The DSSGC supports and organizes an annual local Buddy Walk called the Columbia Basin Buddy Walk. The 1^st Annual Columbia Basin Buddy Walk was held on October 12, 2013.  It was originally started as a High School Senior Project, in hopes that it would continue to bless and enrich the communities of Grant County through the DSSGC. It was an astounding success, with 350 participants, and raising $1000.00. A portion of the net proceeds were then donated to the newly formed DSSGC. The 2^nd Columbia Basin Buddy Walk (CBBW) was conducted by DSSGC and held on September 27, 2014, in Moses Lake, WA with 300 participants and raising $6,833.00. The DSSGC supports the NDSS by giving 7% of all net proceeds from our annual buddy walks. The CBBW supports the mission of the DSSGC by engaging and educating the public about Down syndrome. The community members of Grant County come to celebrate, interact with, and support people with Down Syndrome and their families.  This event encourages public awareness and involvement with the Down syndrome community as it brings individuals, families, businesses, corporations, teams, and other organizations together to support people with Down Syndrome.