Buddy Walk coming Saturday
File photo Taylor Moberg of Moses Lake, front, second from right, waves to the crowd at last year’s Buddy Walk. This year’s event is Saturday.
File photo Mrs. America 2016 Natalie Luttmer of Moses Lake, center, participates in last year’s Moses Lake Buddy Walk in support of people with Down Syndrome.
MOSES LAKE — People with Down Syndrome and their buddies will go walking Saturday afternoon – and maybe go dancing afterward in the park and play some games. The Columbia Basin Buddy Walk is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, starting in McCosh Park.
The Buddy Walk is sponsored by the Down Syndrome Society of Grant County.
Registration begins at 3:30 p.m., with the festivities starting about 4 p.m. and opening ceremonies for the walk about 4:30 p.m., said organizer Kerry Aronsohn. While there is walking – about a mile, downtown and back to the park – the Buddy Walk is “more than just a walk. It’s almost like a big party,” Aronsohn said.
Along with the walk there’s music from local deejay Dale Roth – good for dancing – dinner after the walk from Tacos Del Rey, games and activities.
The Buddy Walk always includes a medal presentation for the local Down Syndrome residents; they’re all heroes, Aronsohn said. For the third year some local heroes will be guest speakers. For 2017 the guest heroes will be local members of the military.
Spiderman was the first guest hero, followed last year by local firefighters, EMS and police. The firefighters, EMS and police will be back to walk in 2017, Aronsohn said.
Members of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps will perform the flag ceremony, and military veteran (and Moses Lake Police officer) Juan Loera will be one of two speakers.
The other will be Joanna Flagan, winner of the 2017 Special Star pageant. The Special Star pageant is for girls with Down Syndrome; during the pageant the girls and their escorts walk the stage in casual and formal wear, and answer a question from the judges.
“She’s an inspiration,” Aronsohn said of Joanna. She has worked at a local retailer for 11 years and lives on her own.
The Buddy Walk is a nationwide – even worldwide – program, Aronsohn said. The first one in Moses Lake was in 2013, a senior project for Aronsohn’s daughter Daniella. Ahronson’s son Gevin, now 8 years of age, has Down Syndrome, and his big sister wanted to introduce children and adults with Down Syndrome to the community.
“People with Down Syndrome enrich our lives,” Aronsohn said. “They have so much to give us.”
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at education@columbiabasinherald.com.