Over the last thirteen years, the Buddy Walk™ has become the premier advocacy event for Down syndrome and has become a major platform for inclusion in communities across the country.

Here are some milestones to show how the program has grown:

1995

• The National Down Syndrome Society establishes the Buddy Walk™ to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome and to celebrate October, National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
• Buddy Walk™ events take place in 17 locations across the United States. Chris Burke leads the flagship New York City Buddy Walk™. The premiere advocacy event for Down syndrome is off to a great start!

• The National Down Syndrome Society introduces the Times Square Video to raise acceptance and inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome.
• The Buddy Walk™ adds a fundraising component to raise money for local and national programs and services.

• NDSS introduces a new Buddy Walk™ logo, the familiar blue and yellow graphic with a family holding hands.
• The Wal-Mart commercial featuring footage of the walk in Colorado Springs, CO first airs and is instrumental in the growth of the Buddy Walk™ program.
• Over 100 Buddy Walk™ events take place during this year.

• John C. McGinley joins NDSS as the National Buddy Walk™ Spokesman, providing significant national visibility for the program.
• The first BuddyWalk.org site is launched.
• The first comprehensive Buddy Walk™ Manual for walk organizers is distributed.

• NDSS further demonstrates its support for the growing Buddy Walk™ program by designating it as one of the Society?s five key strategic initiatives for the coming years and hiring a National Buddy Walk™ Coordinator to oversee the direction of the program and assist local organizers.
• The Buddy Walk™ logo is trademarked by NDSS.
• More than 190 Buddy Walk™ events take place in 49 states and 5 countries with over 180,000 participants.
• More than $2.5 million is raised for national education, research and advocacy programs, as well as local programs and services.

• BuddyWalk.org is re-launched with new tools and features for Walkers and organizers.
• More than 214 Buddy Walk™ events took place (at least one in each state), involving more than 200,000 people and raising more than $4.5 million for local and national education, research and advocacy programs.

• NDSS celebrates 10 years of the Buddy Walk™!
• More than 260 Walks were held in 2005 across the country and abroad.
• Approximately 5.5 Million dollars were raised nation-wide through the NDSS Buddy Walk™. These funds were distributed among sponsoring Buddy Walk™ Organizations and the National Down Syndrome Society.
• More than 225,000 individuals participated in a Buddy Walk™ in 2005. Since the Buddy Walk™ was created in 1995, over 1,500,000 people have participated in a Buddy Walk™ worldwide.

2007

• More than 270 Buddy Walk™ events took place across the country and abroad.
• Over $9.5 million dollars was raised nationwide, a 46.2% increase from 2006. 

• More than 230,000 individuals participated in a Buddy Walk™ in 2007.  Since the Buddy Walk™ was created in 1995, over 2,000,000 people have participated in a Buddy Walk