Raising Down Syndrome Awareness at the annual Buddy Walk

One major yearly event in Gulfport raised over $60,000 in donations for Down Syndrome Awareness Month over the weekend.

Thousands of guests were out and about at the Gulfport Sports Complex for the annual Buddy Walk. It’s an event that the Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society holds every year, bringing more awareness to those living with this disability, attracting many out-of-town visitors. Buddy Sports Director Mike Crawford said, “You’ve got people coming from Louisiana. I don’t know about Alabama, but they come from all around the Mississippi Gulf Coast and just come out, share the love, the fun, and celebrate people with Down Syndrome.”

Several awards and medals were given away to those participating in the event.

Volkswagen of South Mississippi was in attendance for the Buddy Walk. They were feeding volunteers. Volkswagen of South Mississippi Salesman Hayden Hartman said, “We teamed together with Newk’s, Walk-Ons, and El Ricon to serve 100 volunteers at the Buddy Walk today.”

Hayden also shared with us why this initiative is dear to his heart. “We’re trying to be there and show our support and be there for people like my brother, who has Down Syndrome. Hudson Hartman, he’s been part of this for quite some years. He was actually the grand marshal for the Buddy Walk in New York for some time. So, we definitely love to show our support.”

We asked Mike Crawford, the director of the Gulf Coast Buddy Sports, if he participated in the walk. “We did and my daughter snuck in there first with the cheerleaders and she went around. It’s just fun. If you get a chance, help out with some people with special needs. They just want to have fun, just like everybody else.”