by Timothy Rutt
It's no secret that our daughter Rosie (pictured) is a person with Down Syndrome. She's a sharp, happy girl, one of those people who lights up a room, and we're grateful to have her in our life.
But children, youth, and adults with Down Syndrome require a lot of special attention and care. They usually require a modified school curriculum to teach them the skills that will make them fulfilled individuals and contributors to society. There also needs to be community awareness of these individuals and their needs -- that they're not helpless, nor frightening, nor unworthy of life.
Here in the greater Pasadena area, we are blessed with Club 21, a resource center for persons with Down Syndrome and their families. In its mission statement, Club 21 says it "envisions a society enriched by the inclusion of individuals with Down Syndrome. Club 21's mission is to support individuals with Down syndrome, their families and communities, so those individuals will reach their true potential."
That's something we've gotten behind as a family since its inception. We've met so many inspiring folks there, and are glad we could help some people on their own journey.
Currently, Club 21 is at a crossroads: there are a lot of member families, a lot of folks who are seeking help -- but it's almost entirely run by volunteers. In order to fulfill its mission and grow, it's going to need more resources, including some paid staff.
Among the people Club 21 helps are:
- families who, upon receiving an in-utero diagnosis of Down syndrome, find hope and safety when they discover Club 21.
- new parents who come and get vital information from therapists and “seasoned” parents in our First Steps program.
- parents who get the training they need to help their child and teacher in the Learning Program.
- children in our Every Child a Reader (ECAR) program who gain confidence and skills to begin to read and step on a course that will change their life by becoming literate.
- siblings that come to Sibshops and have a place where they are the focus and get the tools they need for their journey.
- providing resources and support to schools and teachers helping our students have access to adapted curriculum and classrooms.
- fathers who gain support from one another in monthly meetings of Dads Appreciating Down syndrome (D.A.D.S.)
- volunteers whose lives are changed by working with Club 21.
That's why we're getting behind this year's Club 21 "Together is Better" Walkathon, to be held Oct. 19 at Central Park in Pasadena. There will be food trucks (of course), activity booths, and entertainment, as well as a walk around downtown Pasadena to raise awareness of Club 21 and the work it does. Club 21 is hoping to raise $150,000 from this walkathon, and we're fielding a team to do our part, "Rosie's Blue Lobsters."
(Why "Blue Lobsters?" We were inspired from an article by the Boston Herald's Dave Falcone, which unfortunately has gone offline at the Herald, but you can find it here with an added last paragraph.)
We know you get a lot of requests to fork over time and money -- we do, too. But we think this is a humane, worthy cause, and it's going somewhere local that does its good work right here in our backyard, so you can actually see the results.
So we're asking everyone we know to make a donation to keep this organization flowing and growing. (We've even made it easy to donate online here). Altadena is the greatest town in the world, and we want it to make its presence known in a big way, so we're putting our request in the best venue we know of, right here.
Thank you for helping us take this wonderful organization to the next level.
