2012 Buddy Walk Information

We are pleased to announce the Buddy Walk’s 2012 Presenting Sponsor

Thank you to the Bank of Lexington for continuing to support DSACK. We appreciate your dedication!

NEWS FROM DSACK’S Buddy Walk Event Planner

Are you ready for Buddy Walk 2012? Our committee has been working hard since the spring to ensure this is the best, most-fun Buddy Walk yet!  Here are some tips and changes for this year, to help you plan your Buddy Walk experience:

•           Pick up your team shirts on Thursday: (this way you will not have to wait in the t-shirt line on Saturday).  The location and time will be announced in next month’s newsletter.

•           Parking: Anyone who came to last year’s event knows that parking next to the venue fills up fast.  This year, we have a secondary parking area at the 1st entrance to the Thoroughbred Center’s Stable Area.  We will park guests at this 1st entrance and then have 2 shuttle busses taking guests to the main Walk entrance.  (like trams do at an amusement park). We want to make this event as smooth and safe for you as possible.  But at the same time, our event continues to grow and grow, so we need to prepare for a larger crowd. Bigger crowd = more money raise for DSACK!

•           Arrive early on Saturday: Registration opens at 9:30am and the Walk opening ceremony will start at promptly 11am.  Ensure you allow enough time to get through the registration line and (the best part) enjoy meeting friends and family beforehand. Each team with 20+ walkers will have a special area reserved to “meet” in the auditorium.  So look for the balloon with your teams name on it, marking the area.

•           Walk Route: The route will be extended to 1.25 miles this year.  We will be walking on Johnston Road, which is next to the Thoroughbred Center.  The police will shut down this road just for our Walk.  The great news is it is a country road with beautiful scenery. It is a narrow 2-lane road, where at mid-point, our teams will make a U-turn (or can stop and take a break under the shade tree, take a sip of water) and walk back to the event venue.  So for the first time ever, teams will pass each other along the route.  A great chance to high-five and see your friends in passing!

•           Stage Show: During lunch we invite you to sit in the auditorium to eat your lunch (or on the property in any shady spot you find comfortable).  Our committee is working hard to put together a fun stage show for your enjoyment after lunch.

These are just some tips to help you plan for October 6.  I hope you will find them helpful.

In closing, I just want to say THANK YOU to all the DSACK families and board members.  This is my 4th year as the Buddy Walk event coordinator.  I tell everyone I meet about DSACK and how your families stole my heart in the first year working with you.  I am absolutely blessed to be part of your event.

Further, I want to say thank you to our committee, listed (below).  Some of these committee members have worked alongside me for all four years, like Tracey Durham-Beall, Amanda Jones and Rick Companik.  These are members who have volunteered because they are dedicated friends of DSACK.  Thank you for all your hard work the past 4 years!  Thank you!

My best,

Deanna Dillender, Your Buddy Walk Coordinator

If you would like to serve on a committee to assist in the planning and coordination of the 2012 Buddy Walk, please email Allison at dsack.org@gmail.com.

The 2012 Committee Members are:

Chairman

Regina Schmutte

Event Planner

Deanna Dillender

Volunteer Committee

Chair: Erin Salmons

Auction and Raffle Committee

Chair: Amanda Jones

April Vernon

Exhibitor Committee

Chair: Needed

Registration Committee

Chair: Susan Bell

Entertainment Committee

Chair: Tracey Durham-Beall

Catering Committee

Chair: Deanna Dillender

Parking/Safety:

Rick Companik

Contests…………..Win, Win, Win!!!

Design the 2012 Buddy Walk T-shirt

1. To enter the design contest, please submit the following on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of white paper.  You may use (3) colors of magic marker.
2. We are asking that each family come up with a slogan about what you want the world to know about Down syndrome.  The family slogan will be featured on the front of the Buddy Walk t-shirts.  Please have your self-advocate submit your family slogan in their own handwriting across the top of the 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and sign their name at the bottom of the page.
3. In addition to your family slogan, in the center of the page, we are asking that your loved one with Down syndrome re-create the attached Central Kentucky Buddy Walk logo.
4. Submit all entries to:

DSACK

PO Box 910516

Lexington, KY  40591

Billboard

Do you want to see your child’s face on a Billboard??  To win a free sitting with a photographer, a free 8×10 photo AND your child pictured on the 2012 Buddy Walk Billboard make sure your team is the first to raise the most money!  By noon, October 10, raise the most money and have the most registered walkers and your child will be featured on the 2012 Buddy Walk Billboard!! Congratulations to Will Merritt and Jordan Ball, they will grace our billboards this year!

Most Creative Banner

The team with the most creative banner judged by Channel 36 the day of the Buddy Walk, will lead off 2013’s Walk!! Congratulations to Elijah’s Construction Crew they will lead off the walk this year.

First to Sign Up

The first 4 teams to sign up their team on the Buddy Walk web site will receive tickets to a Legends game.  Go to www.buddywalk.kintera.org/dsack to get signed up!

Most Money Raised

The team with the most money raised by noon July 16^th will receive a wine tasting for 10 at Talon Vineyards.

The team with the most money raised by noon September 15th, will have their child’s picture on the “day of” brochure for 2013.

Team Name on T-Shirt

Teams that raise $1000 by noon on September 10th will have their team name appear on the back of the 2012 Buddy Walk T-shirt!