Buddy Walk – Sydney 2010: this Sunday, 24th October - latest updates and program

Meet up / registration

We are meeting again at First Fleet Park, West Circular Quay.

We are expecting record numbers this year, so we recommend getting there in plenty of time to register (eg between 9 - 9:30am) before the event (it’s free and only takes a minute), or registering online beforehand (again free), so that we can all be ready for a leisurely 10am start!

This year’s Buddy Walk will be officially launched at 10am by Minister for Disability and Volunteering, Peter Primrose, Down Syndrome NSW President Ken Hancock and a representative of our UP!Club.

We will be walking from Circular Quay, through the Rocks and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Bradfield Park. Volunteer marshals will help guide our way. The Walk is about 2.5km, there is no hurry and everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace.
Concert and picnic
Whether or not you can make the Walk this year, everyone is welcome to come along and join in the celebrations at our free 30th Anniversary Concert (program below) and picnic at Bradfield Park (under the Bridge Pylons at Milsons Point – near Luna Park)

There will also be plenty for the younger kids with face-painting, tattooing, a clown and an enclosed children’s playground next to the concert area.

Concert and Entertainment Program – Bradfield Park

MAIN STAGE
10:30am
Guest DJ James Vantol warms up the crowd with some dance and music tracks. James is a member of the UP!Club and has set up Sydney City Discotheque

11:40am
Acclaimed singer songwriter Phil Davidson, dad of Georgia who has Down syndrome, performs ‘Georgia’s Smile’ and other favourites

12:20pm
DanceAbility - Inspired by the Merrymakers, this inclusive dance group features children with a wide range of abilities, including children with Down syndrome.

12:35pm
Leonie Brown’s Dancers

1:00pm
“Raise Your Voice” An all singing group featuring young people with Down syndrome

1:30pm
Steve Passfield and Handpicked- Golden Guitar winner Steve Passfield (who also happens to be a dad of a young man with Down syndrome) will get everyone’s toes tapping and feet stomping in a high energy musical finale the whole family can enjoy.

2:15pm
Raffle Draw

TENTS AND ROVING ENTERTAINMENT
10am – 2pm
Face-painting, tattooing and roving clown
BBQ and Picnic

10:30am – 2pm
· Sausage sizzle (donation)
· Fresh orange juice and homemade lemonade ($3 and $5)
· Fruit stall (50c and $1.50)
· Soft drinks & coffee

BYO picnics welcome (you can use our new ‘picnic porter’ service to transport your picnic from Circular Quay to Bradfield Park)

History - Celebrating 30 years (1980 – 2010)
This year we are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Down Syndrome NSW, the achievements of people with Down syndrome and their families, and the great steps forward made in the last 30 years, under the banner “we’ve come a long way, baby!”

Down Syndrome Association of NSW was formed in 1980 by parents of babies and young children with Down syndrome, who were demanding the right to raise their child at home (as opposed to ‘institutionalised care’ which had been the norm until the mid 1970s), and found a lack of support, knowledge and resources to do so.

The parents got together without any government funding but with a drive to provide the best opportunities for their children, and formed the Down Syndrome Association of NSW.

Because of the work of the association and other groups, breakthrough ‘early intervention’ work and the determination of their parents, these babies and children, who are now entering their 20’s and early 30’s, have expectations and opportunities higher than any previous generation. At Buddy Walk Sydney – 2010 we’ve come a long way in just 30 years…

‘The best part of Buddy Walk? The time we got to share with our family, friends and people we had never met before. It was nice to know we all have something so wonderful in common, it gave us confidence that our children, even though they may be a little “different” can be accepted for who they are amongst such a widespread and loving community.’ Parent.

I do hope you can join us and help us make Buddy Walk – Sydney 2010 another memorable and very special event.

Kind regards,

Steve Clarke
Chief Executive Officer
Down Syndrome NSW