Twenty-five years ago, the Toledo Buddy Walk started with a new mom looking for answers.
When Max was born, Pam Armstrong wanted to learn everything she could about Down syndrome. She wanted information, but just as importantly, she wanted to talk to other parents who understood what she was experiencing.
In her search for information, she remembered Chris Burke, the actor with Down syndrome who played Corky on the television show Life Goes On. She searched for his name and learned that Chris traveled with Joe and John DeMasi, entertaining at Buddy Walks and national Down syndrome conferences.
So she called the number she found for Chris.
And she actually got to talk to him.
“It was wonderful to talk with someone with Down syndrome,” Pam remembers.
Chris’s mom later called her back and connected her with Joe DeMasi, who told her about the Buddy Walk and invited her to come to the one in Cleveland.
But instead of simply making the drive to Cleveland, Pam had another thought:
Why don’t we just plan one here?
She brought the idea up at a mom’s night out, and the group scheduled their first meeting.
The rest, as they say, is history.
The First Toledo Buddy Walk
The first Toledo Buddy Walk was held at Maumee Bay. It was a cool day, especially being right off the lake, but that didn’t stop people from coming out.
Pam and the group had worked hard and, in her words, probably “over planned.” They were determined to get as much donated as possible and make the event something special.
When people asked how many participants they expected, Pam would say she hoped for 300 to 500.
More than 1,000 people registered.
And even more showed up.
Families walked around the big pond at Maumee Bay together, and Chris Burke joined Joe and John DeMasi to entertain the crowd.
For a brand-new event, it was an incredible beginning.
But the Buddy Walk was never really about the walk itself.
From the beginning, Pam’s goal was to bring families together, educate the community, and create a place where people could support one another.
There were new parents to meet. There were parents who had just received a possible prenatal diagnosis and were looking for someone to talk to. There were families learning from each other’s experiences and realizing they weren’t alone.
And at the center of it all was a simple belief that Pam had from the very beginning.
She knew Max would teach the people around him more than they could ever hope to teach him.
“He would teach us and anyone else that crossed his path MORE than we could ever hope to teach him,” she says. “And he has.”
The Buddy Walk became a way to introduce people to individuals with Down syndrome, advocate for them, and educate the community about what people with Down syndrome are capable of.
25 Years of Families Coming Together
Over the past 25 years, the Buddy Walk has grown far beyond what that first group of moms could have imagined.
Families have changed. Businesses have gotten involved. Volunteers have stepped up year after year. Children who attended their first Buddy Walk as babies are now adults. New parents continue to find the community through the event.
And through all of those changes, the purpose has remained the same: bringing people together.
For Pam, seeing that continue has been incredibly meaningful.
She remembers being fortunate enough to have the mindset, even when Max was just two years old, that having a child with Down syndrome was a blessing. She believed Max would make their family, their friends and the people he encountered better people.
Twenty-five years later, she is still grateful for the people who have helped make the Buddy Walk what it is today.
“I’m extremely thankful for ALL the people, companies, and volunteers who have made every Buddy Walk an amazing event.”
There have been plenty of memorable locations and moments over the years.
One of Pam’s favorites was the Lucas County Recreation Center, where walkers made their way through the surrounding neighborhoods. People came outside to wave as the Buddy Walk passed by.
Another favorite was Maumee Bay, where the setting allowed her to see all of the walkers together.
She remembers watching everyone make their way around the pond and getting a little choked up.
And then there is one thing that has remained a favorite no matter where the Buddy Walk is held:
Music, Max and his friends dancing.
“That puts a smile on my face!”
Looking Toward the Next 25 Years
It is hard to know what that first group of moms would have thought if someone had told them that their idea would still be bringing families together 25 years later.
The Buddy Walk has become one of the most anticipated days of the year for so many DSAGT families. It is a celebration, a fundraiser, a chance to connect with old friends and a way to welcome families who are just beginning their journey.
But perhaps most importantly, it continues the work that inspired the very first walk.
There are still new parents who need support.
There are still families who need community.
And there is still a need to remind the broader community that people with Down syndrome are far more alike than different.
As we celebrate the 25th Annual Toledo Buddy Walk, that is Pam’s hope for the next 25 years.
More inclusion.
More understanding.
And more people seeing individuals with Down syndrome for their abilities rather than their disabilities.
Because 25 years ago, one mom had an idea: Why don’t we just plan one here?
And look what happened.
