Local Events Planned To Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

This Sunday, March 21st, is world down syndrome day, a day set aside to celebrate people with down syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world.

Sarah Soell is the executive director for the central Oklahoma down syndrome association and mother to a 14-year-old Kerstin. She says the entire day is about the celebration.

"It’s a day that is celebrated worldwide and we here in Oklahoma are going to kick the day off with a crazy sock initiative or knock your socks off. So, the reason for the crazy socks is because striped socks look like chromosomes, so we want to talk about the extra chromosomes that make our kids so fabulous," says Soell.

She also says along with the crazy socks there’s also a kite party.

"Sunday at two o’clock we are hosting a kite party at stars and stripes park. And with the kite party, not your average joe will be handing out free ice cream," says Soell.

Along with the ice cream, there will be bubbles and possibly some therapy dogs.

Attendees are asked to wear masks and of course the crazy socks.

Chance and Crystal Bland will be there with their two-year-old Josie.

Crystal says, "Josie, part of her journey, she has had some medical steppingstones that she has had to overcome, but you would never know that she has had any kind of medical issues at all she’s so joyful, she learns really quickly just like everybody else, and she is just as ornery as any other typical two-and-a-half-year-old."

This day is completely about bringing awareness to down syndrome.

Their kids have all the emotions as every other kid, they are involved in normal kid activities and just want to be included. One of the sayings for the group is they don’t want their kids to stand out, they really want them to blend in. They are also planning a virtual sock hop, registration to both events is on their website.