It’s time once again to begin to think about the Annual MDSC Buddy Walk Program. The MDSC has three walks making a world of difference!

This year we are embarking on a new program – the MDSC Buddy Walk School Challenge! We invite your school to get involved and strive to raise awareness and promote inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome. Bring the Buddy walk to your school!

Ways to Get Involved!

Encourage your child’s school or class to get involved with the Buddy Walk program! Create a school team OR join an already established team! (Review the step-by-step guide to registering your team on the next page).

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On behalf of everyone at the MDSC, thank you for your desire and willingness to help support our mission to ensure all individuals with Down syndrome are valued and included! We hope that you will find the enclosed information helpful for involving your school community in the Buddy Walk to raise awareness and promote inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome. Thank you for being an important friend of the MDSC!

What is the Buddy Walk?The MDSC Buddy Walk Program is the largest public awareness platform promoting acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome in Massachusetts.

Each year, the MDSC holds three Buddy Walks across the state: Buddy Walk by the Sea in Hyannis, Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair in Westborough, and Buddy Walk & Family Festival in Wakefield.MDSC Buddy Walks are events where people gather to celebrate the Down syndrome community and enjoy a fun day with family and friends. We hope you will join us on July 29, Sept. 16 or Oct. 7. 

Step-By-Step Guild to Getting Started:

1. If you have not already, register for one of our Buddy Walks – visit MDSC Buddy Walk Program:

a. Buddy Walk by the Sea b. Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair c. Buddy Walk & Family Festival

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2. Reach out to your school or your child’s classroom

a. Send a letter to the families of your child’s classmates – check out some samples here and personalize it!

b. Talk to your child’s principal and teacher – October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. This is a great time of year for teachers to be educating their students about individual differences. Encouraging community participation in the Buddy Walk is a great away for other students to be empowered to advocate for one of their classmates.

c. Post the information to your school’s list serve, Facebook page, Twitter feed, school newsletter, or PTO.

d. Chat with others about your team and your child! Drop-off and pick up are terrific times to mention to other families that you’d love for them to participate on your family’s Buddy Walk team or start their own! Ask parents to spread the word to other families is another great way to the get the information out there.

e. Encourage your school to create its own team or, if that is not viable, encourage members of your school community to become part of your team.

f. Share your network strategy with the MDSC!

3. Perks for the School/Classroom!

a. Create a team for one of the three Buddy Walks and receive:

i. MDSC Educator’s Manualii. Attend the MDSC Educators Forum at 50% off for one educatoriii. Receive MDSC bracelets

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4. Volunteer!

a. Contact buddywalk@mdsc.org if you’d like to volunteer on the day of one of the walks!

Fundraising Tips: PLANNING:

o Set a team goal and encourage team members to set individual fundraising goal! o Have each team member make a list of potential supporters. Think creatively;

include friends, family, neighbors, local companies you frequent, etc.

ASKING:o Solicit in a variety of ways. Consider using email, handwritten letters, phone calls,

and face-to-face interaction. Follow up using a different mode of communication.o Tell a story. Sharing a personal message makes your appeal more compelling.

The more personal your outreach, the better. Use photos and even videos whenever possible.

o Keep your donors informed. Update them on your success as you approach your goal. Social media can be a great tool for sharing your progress.

o Letters should be donor-centric. Make sure your donors know what their donation will go toward and how they can help.

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o Don’t forget to include a self-addressed and stamped envelope with your letter. Including a return envelope will greatly increase the chances that your donors will make a contribution. Make it easy for them to give!

o Make sure someone signs the letter. A personalized, hand-signed letter adds professionalism and a personal touch.

FOLLOW-THROUGH:o Thank your donors. Send thank you notes and emails to all of your supporters.

This will make them feel appreciated and help ensure that they donate again.o Follow up. After you’ve achieved your goal and held your community fundraiser,

report back in with donors to share what happened and how their funds made a direct impact.

Date

Recipient nameRecipient address

Dear Salutation,

As most of your know, CHILD’S NAME has Down syndrome. While this is an important thing to know about NAME, it is only one thing that makes him/her the unique and wonderful person that

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s/he is. Like all children, NAME, has strengths and challenges. Sometimes school is challenging. TEACHER’S NAME is a paraprofessional in the class that supports NAME during those challenging times throughout the school day. We feel grateful that NAME of SUPPORT and all the other teachers working with NAME collaborate so closely to build such a strong, inclusive classroom community.

One of the largest public awareness and fundraising event, INCLUDE BUDDY WALK, is approaching. This event is a wonderful family oriented day full of activities that our children enjoy and look forward to every year. The mission of the MDSC is to ensure individuals with Down syndrome in Massachusetts are valued, included, and given the opportunities to pursue fulfilling lives. By providing advocacy, resources, support, and networking opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, health care professionals, and the community, the MDSC aims to improve the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome.

We would like to invite you to participate in this event with us! We would love for you to join our team, TEAM NAME, or support our team with a donation as we raise funds to support vital MDSC programs. Support in any way is greatly appreciated.

Finally, we know that you and your child may want to know more about Down syndrome. We would love to talk to you and answer any questions that you may have about NAME or Down syndrome – don’t feel shy about asking!

Thank you in advance for your support! We look forward to seeing you all soon.

Sincerely, YOUR NAME

MDSC Logos

Simply copy and paste these images into your marketing flyers and communications to add legitimacy to your efforts!

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Thank you for supporting the MDSC!

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