The Buddy Walk was established by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The Buddy Walk has three primary goals:

• To promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome;
• To raise funds locally and nationally for education, research and advocacy programs; and
• To enhance the position of the Down syndrome community, enabling us to positively influence local and national policy and practice.

The Buddy Walk has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to more than 260 in 2006 across the country and around the world. The 2008 Bakersfield Buddy Walk will be held at Golden Valley High School on October 4, 2008. Registration/Check–in begins at 12:00 PM, Walk begins at 2:00 PM. At least 250,000 people are expected to participate in more than 275 Buddy Walks this year. Since 1995, more than 1,750,000 people have participated in the Buddy Walk program.

Please download the pledge and registration form by clicking here. For more information contact Tracy Brown at 661.831.0951 or visit the Buddy Walk website at www.BuddyWalk.org.