Heartland Community Group Celebrates World Down Syndrome Day

Foam building blocks were a hit with the little ones attending Family Fun Night.

On March 18th, 2023, the Heartland community group of Down Syndrome Association of Greater Saint Louis celebrated World Down Syndrome Day with a Family Fun Night. The group enjoyed music, dancing, games, crafts, pizza and more. Approximately 60 members and guests attended the event.

World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21 of each year, and was first officially celebrated in the United States in 2012. The significance of the date 3-21 is that Down syndrome is generally the result of three, instead of the usual two, copies of the 21st chromosome. Down syndrome is the most common genetic disorder, with one in 700, or a total of 6,000 babies born with Down syndrome in the U.S. each year. The theme for WDSD 2023, which is celebrated globally, is "We Decide."

Attendees enjoyed pizza, nachos, pulled pork barbecue, and more before hitting the dance floor.

Cupcakes made for a tasty version of the Down syndrome awareness ribbon.