DENVER — Sunday, the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association (RMDSA) hosted its largest fundraiser of the year.
The 29th annual Step Up For Down Syndrome Walk brought thousands to Denver City Park, some participants even coming from outside of Colorado.
One of the participants Denver7 met on Sunday was "Princess Piper" and her family.
“We got involved five years ago,” said Craig Turney, Piper’s father.
“Our daughter, Piper, has Down Syndrome, and she was diagnosed prior to birth. Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome was the folks that I reached out to, and they basically helped us navigate the journey that we've been on to this point,” he added.
For Turney and his family, the support they receive from the community means “absolutely everything."
That support continued Sunday during RMDSA’s annual walk.
“It just reminds families that sometimes might be the only parents of kids with Down Syndrome, maybe in their whole school, that there's a whole community behind them, and this is the day that they can all rally together,” exclaimed Heidi Haines, the executive director of the RMDSA.
“We like to give out love, spreading the love and spreading awareness to people,” added Megan Bomgaars, who co-emceed the event Sunday.
“People like us with Down syndrome, we can make a difference and we can make a change,” she emphasized.
Both Bomgaars and her co-emcee, Connor Long, also emphasized the importance of representation.
"These people are just like us," added Long.
For Princess Piper’s Party Peeps, the message of togetherness rings true every year.
“You can walk up, and you may only see these people one time a year, but it feels like family every time,” said Turney.
“We all know what we're going through, so we're always willing to lend a hand and also just be supportive of one another.”
Haines says the money raised from Sunday’s event helps the association support the staff who assist with all their programs.
“We're a pretty small but mighty team.”
“We have an education director who helps families who are having issues with the school with their children with Down syndrome. We have a program for adults with Down syndrome that goes at DU at Colorado College down in the springs, and at CSU in Fort Collins,” she explained.
“We have new moms groups, we have teen groups. We have adult groups that meet all over the state,” she added.
Piper and her family raised $1,500.
Haines says RMDSA’s goal for this year is to raise $400,000.
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