Over 200 hundred educators, representing 75 school districts, from across the commonwealth attended the MDSC 6^th Annual Educator's Forum Working Together - Developing Best Practices for Including Students with Down Syndrome in General Education on November 12, at Holy Cross College in Worcester.

Maureen Gallagher, Executive Director, introduced the newly formed MDSC Education Task Force. The task force is a volunteer team of educators and parents who are dedicated to offering quality information and on-going support to Massachusetts educators and their students with Down syndrome. The group meets monthly and is focusing on two projects: an Educator's Manual, and the Teacher Partnership Network. The Teacher Partnership Network will be a state-wide group of qualified educators willing to share their knowledge and experience with another educator who has a student with Down syndrome in their class for the first time.

The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) achieved record-breaking success and attendance at the annual Buddy Walk ® this fall.

Held Sunday, October 11, 2009 in Wakefield, the 13^th Annual MDSC Buddy Walk raised more than $230,000 to support MDSC's critical programs, education, and legislative advocacy efforts for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Major programs supported include Parent's First Call, connecting veteran parents of children with Down syndrome with parents of babies newly diagnosed with Down syndrome while in utero or at birth; and AIM (Advocates in Motion) which fosters social relationships among young people with Down syndrome and their peers ages 13-22 through inclusive and interactive events, fitness, community service participation, job and career skill building, the arts, and sports. A portion of the proceeds from the Buddy Walk also supports the important work of the National Down Syndrome Society.

Many of us like to swim, especially on a warm summer day at the beach, in an outdoor pool, or in a beautiful lake.  Some people swim for fun and recreation, others swim for exercise, and there are others who swim for competition or sports. This year, to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month on October 8, 2009, Karen Gaffney attempted an eight mile swim in Boston Harbor to promote the acceptance and inclusion of all people with Down syndrome.

An accomplished swimmer, Karen Gaffney is the first person with Down syndrome to complete a relay swim across the English Channel.  Now 31 years of age, Karen has challenged herself with a string of ‘firsts,' completing seven swims across San Francisco Bay - including the popular "Escape from Alcatraz" relay triathlon. In September 2007, she successfully navigated a nine-mile swim across Lake Tahoe and became the focus of a DVD documentary, Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer's Dream.

The MDSC Legislative Task force is pleased to inform you that the MDSC's priority bill, H. 1780, An Act to require national background checks, was voted favorably out of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary at the end of October and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. We are now one step closer in the process of helping this important piece of legislation become law.

This past July, MDSC Executive Director Maureen Gallagher, and MDSC member Chuck Maranian, provided key testimony in favor of H. 1780 in front of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. Maureen and Chuck were joined by Joshua Komyerov, Director of Government Affairs for the Arc of Massachusetts, Ralph Calderaro, General Counsel for the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, Charlie Pina, a self-advocate from Haverhill, and MDSC Honorary Board Member, Representative Tom Sannicandro (Ashland). Please click here for a link to MDSC's testimony.

Last year the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) was selected by the B.A.A. as one of 24 charities to participate in the Boston Marathon, entering 15 runners who raised over $66,000!   

The 114^th running of the Boston Marathon will take place on April 19, 2010. With the Boston Marathon being the only qualifying Marathon in the world, one of the only non-qualifying ways to enter the race is through the Official Boston Marathon Charity Program. 

The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) was chosen to receive entries that will help raise funds to support the critical work of the organization.  MDSC is now accepting applications from interested runners. The entries do not require a qualifying time but do require that runners acknowledge that they can complete a marathon within 6 hours and will abide by all other B.A.A. rules and regulations. Applicants must also agree to raise a minimum of $3,250 for the MDSC.  (Click here to make a general donation in support of the team or to support an individual runner!)

As 20 members of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress prepared to run the 2009 Cigna Falmouth Road Race this past August, the news that one of our runners would receive an award from the Cigna Falmouth Road Race Committee made this an especially meaningful race for the team.

Carey Daly, 20 years of age of Centerville, was named recipient of the 2009 Michael Denmark Award which is presented each year at the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race to a single runner in recognition of significant achievement in the face of extraordinary personal challenges - similar to those that characterized the life of former Falmouth resident, Michael Denmark. The Denmark Award was established in 1992 in honor of Denmark, a young man who died at the age of 24, after a lifetime of battling cystic fibrosis. An avid runner, Denmark competed on his high school and college cross country teams and in the Falmouth Road Race.

“I enjoyed coming to AIM because I like meeting new people and making new friends. In the past I had a problem interacting with other people, so AIM was a good way to make friends.” -- AIM Program Participant

The MDSC is pleased to announce that registration for the 2009-2010 AIM Program is now open!

Advocates in Motion (AIM) seeks to provide fun, inclusive, interactive events each month for young people withDown syndrome (ages 13-22).

AIM’s primary goal is to fostersocial relationships amongst program participants while simultaneously providing exposure to some of the following: fitness/healthy lifestyles, community service experiences, job and career skill building, the arts, sports, etc. The hope is that through these shared experiences, participants willcreate and build friendships.

We hope that you’ll join us for our second year, which promises to be even more fun than our first!

The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress is beyond saddened to note the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). Kennedy, very much like his older sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver who passed away two weeks ago, were members of a famous family that frequently contended with seemingly insurmountable tragedy.