Welcome

We're thrilled to announce our 15th Annual Down Syndrome Awareness Walk, taking place at Town Center Park in Grand Chute on Saturday, October 5th!

Yes, you heard it right—this year, we have a NEW location! Rest assured, our 15th Annual Awareness Walk promises the same wonderful, family-friendly experience you've come to cherish over the years, just in an exciting new setting. After extensive searching, we're delighted about this change. While it may differ slightly from what we're accustomed to, it presents us with fantastic opportunities!

Please visit the DETAILS page for information on parking, the walk route, and park maps.

In 2023, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we hosted numerous FREE or low-cost family events, provided over 850 hours of direct services, welcomed 40 participants to in-person group programs, hosted the Extraordinary Adventures Summer Camp, acquired a 12-passenger van for outings, and much MORE! It's truly astounding—thank you!

We depend on the incredible backing of our community to bring these events and services to life. The majority of our activities and programs are made possible by this annual Awareness Walk, and we need YOUR support to keep them thriving. Join us!

Click here to donate.

Click here to register for this event.

Event Schedule

10:30 am - 12:30 pm Event check-in and on-site registration

10:30 am - 2:00 pm Bag lunches available (hot dogs, chips, banana, fruit snacks, and water)

Fun activities for all ages!! (free for all registered walkers)

2:00 pm - Walk kick-off with announcement of top teams and our 1 mile non-competetive walk on a walking trail.

2:30 pm - Raffle winners announced and posted, must be present for bucket raffle, need not be present for larger ticket item drawings 

Registration Information

Pre-register online until 10pm CST on Friday, September 6th to be guaranteed a t-shirt! 
Any registrations AFTER September 6th are not guaranteed a t-shirt. 

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged!

Registration includes awareness walk, activities, t-shirt. Bag lunches will be provided for an additional fee. T-shirt size guaranteed ONLY if you pre-register by September 6th!

Walker + t-shirt (no lunch) $10
Walker + t-shirt + lunch $12
Walker + XXL or XXXL t-shirt (no lunch) $12
Walker + XXL or XXXL t-shirt + Lunch

$14
*Virtual Walk Participant (includes t-shirt shipped to your house) $15

*Virtual Walker Registration

If you are unable to attend this event in person or would feel more comfortable celebrating from afar, register as a virtual walker! Registration includes a t-shirt shipped directly to the address you provide (USA only). Virtual Walkers must register by September 6th at 11:59pm.

** Early Registration Incentive! **

We're excited to again offer this perk for early registration! Teams that register by July 31st will automatically be entered into a drawing to have their team name printed on the back of their t-shirts. The drawing will take place on August 1st. If your team wins, and the team name is too lengthy for the shirt, we'll discuss alternate printing options.

Event T-shirts

Early T-shirt Pick-Up Info:  T-shirts will be available for early pickup on Saturday, September 21st, 9AM - 11AM,  for those who wish to pick-up their shirts before the day of the walk. Early t-shirt pickup will be at the DSAW office, 526 W. Wisconsin Ave, 2nd Floor, Appleton. Individuals must register by September 6th in order to have their shirts available for early pickup. 

Day Of: T-shirts will also be available to be picked up at the walk on October 5th. T-shirt tables will be located in the registration tent. IF you register AFTER September 6th, we cannot guarantee your size will be available the day of the walk, please register early to ensure you receive your size.

Resource Table Request

Are you interested in having a resource table at the DSAW Annual Awareness Walk? Please click HERE to reqeust a table for your business or organization. 

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Raffle Basket Donations

Seeking donations for the basket raffle, we need your help to make it a success! Your generosity has been instrumental in creating amazing raffle prizes year after year. Here are a few donation ideas:

  • Handmade items: From home decor to jewelry, anything crafted by you, family, or friends.
  • Gift cards: Always a crowd-pleaser for restaurants, movies, stores, and more.
  • Themed gift baskets: Encourage family and friends to contribute items for themes like coffee lovers, game night, or spa day.
  • Tickets to shows, sports games, concerts, and more.

We are also in need of any baskets, bags, or boxes for packaging donations. We are happy to take single items and combine them with like items to create a basket, all donations are welcome!

If you have sporting event tickets; Packer, Badger, Brewer, or Bucks games to donate, they're highly sought after and appreciated!

Remember, all donations are tax deductible. 

Click HERE to fill out the raffle donation form.

AMAZON WISH LIST

We've created an Amazon Wish List for raffle basket items for the walk! Many people have expressed a desire to donate but can't put together an entire basket, so we hope this offers an easy solution. We've added (and will continue to add) items that can be combined to make baskets. Most items are $20 or less, and if you purchase an item, it will be shipped directly to the DSAW - Fox Cities office, where our volunteers will create amazing raffle baskets.

View the Amazon Wishlist HERE

 

Share Your Photos!

Exciting news! We are able to enjoy a running slideshow at our new walk venue. We want it to be a tribute to the past 14 years of our walks. Do you have any photos from previous walks that you'd love to share? Whether it's capturing special moments, team gatherings, or the spirit of the walk, we want to feature them in our slideshow. Please upload your photos to the link below and be a part of this wonderful showcase of memories!

Upload Photos HERE

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Fundraising Incentives

NEW THIS YEAR!

We appreciate the fundraising efforts of ALL walk teams! In an effort to show our appreciation we are making some changes to team incentives. Any team that raises $2500 or more will be entered in a drawing to win their loved one's photo on a billboard ahead of the 2025 walk. The winner will be announced during the walk kick-off.

REMINDER!

  • The cut-off for donations that qualify for the Top Fundraising Prizes is 10 PM on Friday, October 4th! 
  • All cash and check donations must arrive at the DSAW Fox Cities office by noon on Friday, October 4th to qualify.  

$1,500 Team Signs

Any team that raises $1500 or more should contact walk@dsawfoxcities.org to receive a personalized yard sign with your team name and an image of your individual with Down syndrome. The deadline to send in your image and reach your goal is September 15th.

 

Meet Our 2024 Walk Ambassador: Kendra Schroeder

Meet Our Walk Ambassador!

Hi everyone! I'm Kendra, I'm 24 years old and I love my family more than anything. I have two awesome sisters, Emily and Katie, and even though they don't live at home anymore, it's always a special day when we're together. I have a big family, and I get really excited about celebrating birthdays!

I love going out and my favorite food is a deluxe cheeseburger with onions and all the fixings! I also enjoy a good Friday fish fry and can't resist chocolate ice cream with Oreos on top.

I spend my days at DSAW-FC with my amazing teacher, Maddy, and all my friends. I learn new things through STA and enjoy the outings we go on with Rad Rec. I've been truly blessed by all the learning and growth since I started a couple of years ago.

Favorite Walk Memory

My favorite part of the DSAW Walk is having my family and friends come to support me. One year, even though my Grandpa couldn't walk far, he still came and marched with us, which meant a lot to me. I love seeing everyone come together to enjoy a fun-filled day at the park. Wearing matching shirts, getting my face painted, and enjoying a delicious lunch are just a few things that make the day memorable. Oh, and the year I won a huge raffle basket was SO FUN!

Favorite DSAW Activity

I love every day I get to spend at STA and Rad Rec. They both teach me and help me discover new things. I really enjoy interacting with friends my age too.

Why I'm Looking Forward to Being This Year's Walk Ambassador

I'm excited to share with others in my community how wonderful DSAW-FC is and all the different programs they offer. Maybe through me, others will want to check it out and join me for lots of fun and learning!

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Introducing Team Spotlight!

We're thrilled to announce a new initiative for sharing your reasons for participating in the Annual Awareness Walk! After registering your team, you can join in by filling out the form HERE. 

Once completed, we will create a personalized social media post on Facebook, highlighting your loved one and your motivation for being part of the walk. You can then share this post on your own page and include a link to your walk team for easy sign-ups. 

Join us in spreading awareness and showcasing the amazing stories behind our community!

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Donor Leaderboard

  • 1 Anonymous $17,656.00
  • 2 Anonymous $5,000.00
  • 3 Menasha Corp. $3,000.00
  • 4 SCHEELS $2,000.00
  • 5 Robert & Patricia Endries Family Foundation $2,000.00
  • 6 SCHEELS $1,500.00
  • 7 Terri Handrich $1,500.00
  • 8 Greg Beilfuss Trucking, LLC $1,500.00
  • 9 Sure Controls, Inc. $1,228.50
  • 10 Vicky Heimann $1,180.00
  • 11 AMCOR $1,126.00
  • 12 Stoiched Automotive LLC $1,005.00
  • 13 JJ Keller Foundation - Match $1,000.00
  • 14 Jim & Monita Gray $1,000.00
  • 15 Miron Construction Co., Inc $1,000.00
  • 16 Richard & Debra Velpel $1,000.00
  • 17 In loving memory of Konor Marks by Paul, Connie & Kyler Marks $1,000.00
  • 18 Todd Graverson $632.50
  • 19 Winch Financial $562.00
  • 20 Cheryl Hietpas $525.00
View Full Leaderboard

About DSAW-Fox Cities

The vision of the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin - Fox Cities (DSAW-FC) is that we all understand the value of those with Down syndrome in our lives and our communities. We continually strive for full acceptance, full access, full life and full potential. Check out our website.

We are a chapter of:  The Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin

The Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin's mission is to provide support to Wisconsin families and individuals with Down syndrome and related disabilities through awareness, education, information, programs, services, and the exchange of ideas and experiences. We promote the value of those with Down syndrome in our lives and our communities. We continually strive toward full acceptance, full access, full potential and a full life to make Wisconsin the best supported state for people with Down syndrome and their loved ones. Visit our website to learn more.