Reflecting on our WDSD Extravaganza
This year we hosted a World Down Syndrome Day Extravaganza event for our members, friends/families, and our community, as a way to embrace extra chromosomes and celebrate unique journeys. We had two goals when we began planning:
Host an awesome event for our membership, gathering families of all ages together, in one room, for an incredible evening of fun!
Celebrate the incredible individuals with Down syndrome in our community, while raising awareness about the importance of inclusion and acceptance. When we bring people together, we help foster understanding, break down stereotypes, and create a more compassionate, supportive community where everyone feels valued and empowered to thrive.
If you attended this event, I think it’s safe to say: mission accomplished. Our incredible SOCK HOP dance featured the coolest DJ around, DJ Raymond Lambert Jr., who kept the dance floor hopping the entire evening. We had glow sticks, we had dance circles, and we had DANCING UNICORNS! If you weren’t out on the dance floor you were most likely shopping our first ever “Made with Heart” Market, which showcased hand-crafted items from talented individuals from our community, as well as local businesses who embrace inclusive hiring. Our vendors sold coffee, chocolates, dog treats, art, cards, portraits, mats, and more!
Almost as exciting as Extravaganza Event, were the dine-out fundraisers we hosted all across Northern Virginia, leading up to Friday night’s event. DSANV members gathered together in Falls Church, Chantilly, Leesburg, Manassas, Alexandria, and Fairfax, in celebration! It was such a treat to meet members from all over the region, and we promise you’ll be seeing more of us soon!
The morning of the big event, our VIPs were featured on the big screen outside of the Alamo Drafthouse. DSANV Staff and the Board President, brunched together with members at Ted’s Bulletin before heading over to watch the slideshow. It was a wonderful way to kick off the day!
While it may sound like we only began celebrating WDSD the week of 3/21, a number of our members actually began celebrating on January 1st, through our Go the Distance Challenge. Members worked to walk/run/swim/bike/move toward a mileage goal of their choosing, fundraising for their selected distances. A huge thank you to Casey Craig for suggesting the idea and a big congratulations on crushing his 321 miles. Because of Casey and our other Go the Distance Challenge athletes, we raised just shy of $5,000!
As we reflect back on the past few months, we are humbled by the amount of support we received for our WDSD event. We had over 300 people register, with over 250 in attendance; This was the first time we tried to pull an event off of this size, on WDSD! Thanks to our participants, donors, sponsors, Go the Distance athletes, and raffle ticket buyers, we raised almost $21,000, surpassing our goal of $15,000. We could not have done this without you. We’d like to thank:
-our amazing sponsors: WaMo Media (for donating their photography skills), Kendra Scott (for hosting a virtual fundraiser for us), Target (for donating all of the sodas and sparkling waters for the event), Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids (for serving as a sponsor), and Perfect Pointe Music and Dance Studio (for serving as a sponsor and for donating a gift certificate for our raffle).
-our MIGHTY volunteer committee: Jennifer Greene, Erin Jones, Emily Rice
-our fabulous DAY OF event volunteers who helped our vision come to life in under 2 hours time!
-the wonderful McLean HS school staff who supported us with event set-up and clean-up and ensured we had a successful and safe evening
-the INCREDIBLE “Unicorns with a Cause” who made sure our dance floor was hopping the whole night long
-our Board Members who volunteered their evening to help set-up, serve food, fill in assistance where needed, and clean-up
-the Davis Career Center students who baked dozens of cookies for our big event
-YOU, our members, who showed up to celebrate with one another
The evening was a tremendous success and we are so grateful for your participation. We hope you enjoy our event photos and we hope to see you NEXT YEAR!