COVID-19 Precautions
- Masks are required in indoor spaces and in high-traffic areas such as registration. Otherwise, we strongly encourage them to keep all participants safe.
- Precautions will be taken at this event to ensure the safety of all guests. We will have activities that can ensure physical distance such as rock climbing and inflatable obstacle courses. Please contact Elizabeth (Biz) at elizabeth@madss.org if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 precautions.
- If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, headache, cough, nausea, etc.), have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, or are awaiting your own test results, please keep everyone safe by staying home.
- We ask that participants wear masks when indoors or in crowded areas where social distancing is not possible, such as at registration. Thank you!
Where to Go
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Olin Park 1156 Olin-Turville Ct, Madison, WI 53715
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When you arrive, only ONE member of your team needs to check in and pick up shirts. Everyone else can go right to enjoying the activities!
Parking
- Parking available on first come first serve basis in designated areas. Please notify parking volunteers when you arrive, for handicap accessibility and parking.
Food
- More information coming soon!!
What to Bring
- You are welcome to bring your own food, drinks (non-alcoholic please!), reusable water bottles, camping chairs, wagons, and strollers. Wear comfy shoes. We will be outside rain or shine so dress for the weather! You may also bring decorations, posters, and signs to celebrate your loved one! In addition, we recommend bringing cash for our amazing raffles!
- Please do NOT bring rollerblades, skates, pets, balloons, glitter, or confetti as these items are strictly prohibited.
Event T-Shirts
- T-Shirts are included with registration. Attendees of the in-person event can pick them up on Walk Day (you only need to send ONE member of your team to registration to pick up shirts for your whole team).
Walk & Family Festival
- Our Family Festival includes music, games, raffles, prizes, inflatables, activities, and more!
21 Showcase
- We will host our 21 Showcase where individuals with Down syndrome of ALL ages will get a chance to walk the catwalk in front of their family and friends. Children who are not yet able to walk on their own can walk with a parent, caregiver, or sibling! We will also share our 21 Showcase participants on social media this year! Make sure you follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss out. Click here to sign up. Deadline to submit is Friday, September 10!
Virtual Challenges & Drawings
- In June-September, join us on Facebook every second Friday of the month at 12pm for a live video introducing a weekly challenge with an amazing prize! Tune in to see self-advocates, staff, and sponsors introducing fun challenges that YOU can participate in to win! Make sure to follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.
Virtual Event Components
- Although this year's Walk is back in-person, we will have some virtual event components too!
- You also have the option to launch a virtual team and join us as a Virtual Walker!! Virtual Walkers will receive an event t-shirt shipped directly to the address they provide, and they'll have access to our virtual activities and team fundraising pages!
Connect to Facebook Fundraisers
- It's incredibly easy to fundraise on Facebook! After you register for our event, you will have the option to link a Facebook fundraiser to your team on Qgiv. Thermometer totals will be updated automatically as you receive donations thru Facebook fundraisers. Make fundraising extremely easy for your networks!
- Note that you must create your Facebook fundraiser via Qgiv's My Fundraising Dashboard and not directly through Facebook. If you create the fundraiser on Facebook first there is no way to connect your fundraiser to our event.
- If you don't connect to Facebook when setting up your profile, you can connect at a later time. Navigate to your personal fundraising dashboard then click the link to connect your fundraiser to Facebook. The button is located toward the bottom of the personal fundraising dashboard.
Fundraising Incentives & Prizes
- If your team raises over $3,500 by Walk Day, you will be entered into a drawing to win your loved one's face on our 2022 Awareness Walk billboard!
- The cut-off for donations that qualify for the Top Fundraising Prizes is 11:59PM on September 18. All cash and check donations must be at the MADSS post office box by noon on Friday, Sept 18th to qualify. As a special thank you, the First Place Team will have their child's picture on the MADSS Billboard before the 2022 Awareness Walk! (Past winners from the last two years are NOT eligible to win this prize).
Forming a Team
- Forming a team is the perfect way to celebrate your loved one with Down syndrome, and you get to participate in the BIGGEST Awareness party in south central Wisconsin! Your team can be as large or as small as you want. Plus, your fundraising changes lives. Although fundraising is optional, the difference you make in the lives of more than 1,000 people across the greater Madison area is tremendous. Whether you raise $10 or $10,000, YOU are making a difference for people with Down syndrome and their families in Wisconsin. Remember, fundraising does not have to be scary! Most people are happy to give to a cause that is important to you and your family.
Recruiting Team Members
- Make a list of people you know best - family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. Ask the people on your list to join your team! You could ask them via email, social media, or phone. Explain why it's important to you and your family, and encourage your team to fundraise. Giving them a sample fundraising letter (see below for an idea!) and a picture of your loved one to send to their networks can be incredibly helpful. In addition, remind them that business sponsorships can count towards your team's total!! Ultimately, this process is not just about fundraising: it's about spreading awareness and acceptance of people with Down syndrome.
Fundraising Template
- Fundraising is scary to many people, but it doesn't have to be! It can be as simple as sending an email or posting on social media. Try using this template to ask for donations from your friends and family:
“Dear Friends,
This year, my family has formed a team for the MADSS 20th Annual Down Syndrome Awareness Walk, which will be on September 19th at Olin Park. The goal of the Walk is to spread awareness and acceptance of Down syndrome throughout south central Wisconsin, and to raise funds for Madison Area Down Syndrome Society's life-changing programs and services. As you may know, this cause is very important to us. [insert personal story]
Would you consider joining our team and/or making a donation to support our team and [insert name of loved one with Down syndrome]? Your donation will have a large impact on thousands of lives in Wisconsin. Please forward this email to your friends and family, too! In addition, if your business would be interested in sponsoring the walk, the funds will count towards our team's total! Visit https://secure.qgiv.com/event/madss21/ to download sponsorship benefits.
Use this link to join our team and make a donation: [insert personal link]
Thank you for supporting Down syndrome awareness! [Your name]”
Fundraising Ideas
- The majority of our programs and events are fully funded by fundraising that takes place at this annual Awareness Walk. We need YOU to come out strong at this Walk, and we have some fun ideas of how to fundraise!
- Host a trivia night with your friends
- Donate your talents! If you are a yoga instructor (or another fitness coach), or have an artsy hobby that you can teach people (knitting, painting, cooking a dish) offer a virtual class for a donation
- "If I raise $____ for MADSS in the next week, I will..."
- Share a video of my kid throwing a pie in my face
- Participate in a viral Tik Tok dance challenge with my kids
- Do 21 minutes of live stand-up comedy on Facebook
- Have my kid give me a hair cut
- "If you donate $___ to my Walk team, I will go one mile in any way you choose!"
- The sky is the limit! If you have other fundraising ideas or use one of these, share with us @madsswi
Sponsorship Opportunities
- Thank you for your interest in sponsoring this event! If you would like to talk more about sponsorship opportunities, you can email us at info@madss.org