How We Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day
At The Baddour Center, we believe that representation is important. We believe in celebrating the individuality and uniqueness of residents and the communities that they’re a part of. As is the case, it would only make sense that we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day every March 21st! Being an independent living facility means that we get to watch our members form friendships, let loose, and show the world what makes them extraordinary.
Many facilities like ours celebrate this day, but we wanted to give you an insight into what we do to make this day special. We also asked several residents what this day means to them!
How We Celebrate
There are many ways to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day and these are some of the activities that residents look forward to the most. They’ve practically become a tradition around the Center, and are a fun way to show support and represent everyone’s unique personalities.
Rock Your Socks
Rock Your Socks is a fun and easy way to show support for World Down Syndrome Day. Our residents and staff love picking out their most colorful socks and sporting them around campus. We love seeing all of the colorful ways our community members choose to represent themselves. In fact, many people even wear mismatched socks.
But why socks, you might ask? Socks were chosen for this day of celebration because the karyotype of the Down Syndrome chromosomes looks very similar to mismatched socks!
Step Up For Down Syndrome
This particular piece of World Down Syndrome Day celebration actually takes place later in the year, but we feel it’s worth mentioning anyway! Step up for Down Syndrome, previously called the Buddy Walk, is a fun way to get the whole family involved in an activity that gets everyone active and outside, as well as supporting a great cause. In 2020, they had a together-apart-style picnic in lieu of a walk, but many people still registered and donated. This event is hosted by the Down Syndrome Association Of Memphis & the Mid-South, a wonderful group that raises awareness, money, and provides resources for local families. We’re hopeful that this year we’ll get to walk in person and see our friends!
Hanging the Banner
Finally, our celebration wouldn’t be complete without our yearly banner hanging! We hang this banner proudly to remind our families, friends, and residents just how important it is to participate in special days like these. All of the individuals that live on the Baddour campus add their own unique flair to the community and celebrating our similarities (and our differences) is just one way we strive to bring joy to Baddour.
How Residents Celebrate
Each resident of The Baddour Center has his or her own quirky personality, and we wanted to take the time to introduce a few faces and share their stories.
John
Name: John
Age: 39
Years Lived At Baddour: 18
John’s Take on World Down Syndrome Day: John is a proud resident of Baddour and has spent many years celebrating with his friends and family. Even though this year looked a little different, he usually celebrates this day by spending time with his family at the beach! He appreciates the recognition on World Down Syndrome Day because it celebrates people who are like him!
John Is Really Great At: Playing basketball and wrestling.
Judy
Name: Judy
Age: 53
Years Lived At Baddour: Just over 3 years
Judy’s Take on World Down Syndrome Day: Even though Judy has only been with us for a short time, she’s really made a splash! In 2018, she was crowned as Homecoming Queen at our annual fall dance! Judy likes to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by eating cake to kick off her upcoming birthday.
Judy Is Really Great At: Singing! She enjoys singing along to her favorite artists like Tracey Bird.
Michael
Name: Michael
Age: 44
Years Lived At Baddour: Just over a year
Michael’s Take on World Down Syndrome Day: Michael became a resident at Baddour just two short months before COVID-19 hit, which as you can imagine was quite a shock for someone adjusting to a new way of living! Michael celebrates World Down Syndrome Day by creating art. He loves art classes, especially finger painting, and embraces all of the colors of the rainbow in his masterpieces!
Michael Is Really Great At: Art! He enjoys painting and giving art as gifts. But he also has two other hidden talents: Sports analytics and cooking. One of his favorite things to cook is squash with a little bit of mint, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Tracee
Name: Tracee
Age: 59
Years Lived At Baddour: 40 years
Tracee’s Take on World Down Syndrome Day: Tracee is a native of Memphis. Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day is practically an old hat for her, but she loves any reason to have a party! Her favorite way to celebrate is to partake in delicious cake and ice cream, and we can’t say we disagree with that plan.
Tracee Is Really Great At: When people begin living at Baddour, they discover passions and talents they never knew they had. Tracee has become really great at art, bowling, talking and playing with her friends, and muchmore!
Jordan
Name: Jordan
Age: 36
Years Lived At Baddour: 8 Years
Jordan’s Take on World Down Syndrome Day: Jordan was born in Memphis but considers herself a native from Auburn, Alabama. Like Judy, Jordan loves to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by eating yummy treats like her favorite flavor of ice cream and getting to hang out with all of her friends and neighbors!
Jordan Is Really Great At: Jordan is a regular triple threat! She loves to act, dance, and sing. When she’s not on stage or participating in choir activities, she enjoys creating beautiful masterpieces.
Learn More About Baddour
Our community is enriched by the people we serve. The Baddour Center is dedicated to the enrichment of our residents and their families. Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day is an important part of who we are, as is being a resource for loved ones. If you’re interested in learning more about Baddour and what we have to offer, call or schedule a tour now!