Moses Lake native's face to light up New York City for Down syndrome awareness
Cruz Choate, who will be turning 2 on September 13, was among 500 people across the country who were selected to be displayed in New York City's Times Square the morning of the Buddy Walk, a global event to raise public awareness of Down Syndrome.
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald
Cruz Choate, who was born in Moses Lake but now lives in the Spokane area, beats the heat in a kiddie pool.
Cruz Choate smiles up at the camera as he dries off after a quick swim.
While the 26th Annual New York City Buddy Walk, one of the world’s best-known public awareness programs for Down syndrome, is going virtual this year in the face of the coronavirus, the Times Square Video Presentation that kicks it off is still slated for the morning of Sept. 12.
And among the hundreds of smiling faces that will be displayed over the busiest city square in the country, just a day before his second birthday, will be Moses Lake native Cruz Choate.
The Buddy Walk, with a central event in New York City and affiliated events across the country, is an annual event with upwards of 300,000 yearly participants across the globe, all walking a mile to raise public awareness of the Down syndrome community and raise funds.
From there, those funds help shape public policy, improve education opportunities for those with Down syndrome, create employment programs and advance research into the condition. Walkers register before the event, create fundraising pages and donate the money to the National Down Syndrome Society, which has organized the event since 1995.
To kick off the Buddy Walk, a video billboard in Times Square has for years been used to highlight hundreds of individuals with Down syndrome, ranging in age and from across the country.
“These collective images promote acceptance and inclusion,” the NDSS states on its website.
Out of thousands of entries, Cruz’s photo was selected among 500 other individuals to be shown this year, one of only seven Washingtonians chosen for the honor. Currently living in the Spokane area, he was also the only person selected from Eastern Washington.
“This means a lot,” said Cruz’s mother, Alicia Choate, in a recent interview.
Cruz had a late diagnosis, Alicia said, with doctors identifying he had Down syndrome at around three months old, followed four months later with the discovery of a congenital heart defect, which eventually necessitated heart surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Spokane.
Health issues haven’t stopped Cruz from being able to just be a kid, Alicia added. He dances to anything, loves getting messy but also bath time, and adores dinosaurs, cars and anything that lights up.
While already aware of Down syndrome, Alicia said that since Cruz was born she has become an active advocate for the Down syndrome community and is looking for ways to help other parents learning to navigate their child’s diagnosis. She hopes that the coverage of Cruz’s selection for the video presentation will help to build a platform for her to reach those parents, she added.
“It can be scary,” Alicia said. “I would just want other parents to know that it’s going to be OK, and besides a few health issues, Cruz is just like any other kid. While we push him to be the best he can be, he’s going to be on his own timeline.”
A live video of the Times Square presentation will be available through NDSS social media channels the morning of Sept. 12. Those wishing to participate in or fundraise for this year’s Buddy Walk may visit ndss.org and click the banner at the top of the page.
