>>JENNIFER READY: TOMORROW THE DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF JACKSONVILLE IS CHALLENGING THE
COMMUNITY TO RAISE $21,000 IN
21 HOURS. IT’S BEING CALLED A
21 HOUR BLITZ WITH PROCEEDS
HELPING MORE THAN 1500
INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
JEFF LEACH BOARD PRESIDENT OF
THE DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION
OF JACKSONVILLE AND HIS
DAUGHTER SYDNEY JOIN
US NOW. THANK YOU BOTH FOR
BEING WITH US SO EARLY ON THIS
SUNDAY MORNING.
>> HI
GOOD MORNING.
>>JENNIFER READY: SO JEFF WHAT
HAS NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC
LOOKED LIKE FOR PEOPLE WITH
DOWN SYNDROME AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> OH MY GOD, IT’S IT’S
BEEN SOMEBODY COULD TOWN CENTER
ON THE ONE THING THEY GET RIGHT
OF WAYS.
OUR KIDS ARE INDIVIDUALS TO SCRAPE OUT SOCIALIZATION I KNOW
CITY MEETS WITHIN 2 MINUTES, THEY BECOME HER BEST FRIEND, SHE’S SHE’S GOING TO MY JOB.
AND SHE SHE DOESN’T YOU KNOW
AND SO A PANDEMIC THAT STRIPS
THAT SOCIALIZATION OR WAY IT’S
BEEN VERY DIFFICULT. LOT OF
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AROUND
THAT.
SO IT’S BEEN TOUGH AND THEN ON
THE MEDICAL SIDE OR COMMUNITY
ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU’RE
MUCH HIGHER RISK FOR THINGS THE
AND JUST ORDERS SLEEP APNEA I’D
RATHER OTHER ISSUES. AND THE
PANDEMIC FROM A
MEDICAL STANDPOINT HAS HAS
CREATED COMPLICATIONS WITHOUT
SHOULD THEY GET
IT SO WE TAKE A LOT MORE CARE
TO REDUCE RISKS WE DO A LOT OF
THINGS TO ENSURE THAT SAID THEY
AND OTHERS
LIKE HER ARE REALLY FOLLOWING
THE GUIDELINES AND NOT GETTING
COVID KNOWING THE COMPLICATIONS
THAT
THEY HAVE. WE GOT LUCKY THOUGH
BECAUSE TSA JAY HAS SOME OF THE
SOME OF THAT SOCIALIZATION WITH
IT. VIRTUAL EVENTS SUCH AS
WE’RE TALKING BACK.
>> IN BASKETBALL. ALL SORTS OF
THINGS THAT CITY CAN DO
VIRTUALLY. WE’VE GOT REAL HAPPY
WITH WHAT’S GOING ON. SO IT’S
BEEN TOUGH FOR COMMUNITY.
>> AND WHAT HAS THE IMPACT BEEN
ON FAMILIES.
>> I’M FAMILIES TO
THE PANDEMIC A LOT OF THE SAME
I YOU KNOW THE SCHOOL HAS
STARTED OUT. THE CHALLENGE HAS
BEEN FOR THOSE
THAT ARE DOING SO VIRTUALLY
TYPICAL YORK CITY HAS A HELPER.
CARE
PROFESSIONAL IT CAN HELP OR.
HER MOTHER AND FATHER ARE NOW
THAT PARAPROFESSIONAL IN MANY
CASES AND I KNOW OTHER FAMILIES
AS WELL. I HAD TO DO ALL THE CHALLENGE OF WORKING AND A RIGHT TO HAVE A TEACHER
PARAPROFESSIONAL KNOW IT NOW.
SO MANY THAT SOCIAL ASPECT
AS WELL. IT’S JUST BEEN IT’S
DIFFICULT TO
OUR KIDS. THEY WANT TO THEY
WANT TO BE MEETING PEOPLE THEY
WANT TO SEE THAT SMILE ON
PEOPLE’S FACE WHEN THEY GIVE
HIM A BIG HUG. AND SO TRYING TO
EXPLAIN TO THEM. WE CAN’T DO
THAT.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND SO WITH
THAT BEING SAID TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE 21 HOUR
BLITZ.
>> SO THAT WHEN OUR BUT LET’S
IS ON SEPTEMBER 21ST OUR GOAL
IS TO RAISE $21,000. THE
SIGNIFICANCE
OF 21 DOWN SYNDROME MEDICALLY
IS NOT AS TRISOMY 21.
IT’S 3 CHROMOSOMES ON THE
21ST CARE. SIGNIFICANCE OF 21
IS MUCH GREATER FOR THOSE WITH
DOWN SYNDROME. OUR BODY WANT TYPICALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 4,000 PEOPLE WALKING ON JACKS BEACH.
THIS YEAR IT’S BEEN REMATCH SO
INSTEAD OF ALL OF THIS PEOPLE
ON
OCTOBER 17TH. WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE ALMOST A 100 WALKS AROUND
THE CITY. EVERY TEAM HAS
REGISTERED US TO BE OUT THERE
WITH THEIR I WAS SURE I REALLY
IF YOU SEE THE THEME HERE IF
THE MAIN STREET BRIDGE NEAR
THE BEACH. THAT’S TO REPRESENT
ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WALKS THAT
WE’RE GOING TO BE DOING AROUND
THE COMMUNITY SO YOU’RE SEEING
A LOT OF TEAMS OUT THERE SMALL
THE FAMILIES
CLOSE FRIENDS. HAVING THEIR OWN
LITTLE RE IMAGINE WHY.
AND SO WE ARE SUPPLEMENTING THE
TYPICAL WALK WITH WITH OUR
VIRTUAL. THE BLITZ IS
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
OUR ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN HIT
HARD LIKE MOST NONPROFITS
AROUND THE WORLD.
WE HAVE LOST ALL OF OUR FUNDING
SOURCES FOR THIS YEAR OVER
FUNDRAISERS THAT WE HAVE BEEN
CANCELED. SO
THIS YEAR WE’RE REALLY TRYING
TO PUT IN EXTRA EFFORT INTO
FUNDRAISING WITH IRAQ AND THE
LIST IS IS ONE OF THE WAYS WE
CAN DO THAT.
SO WE’RE ASKING PEOPLE TO DO
IS TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO
CLICK ON THE TOMORROW MONDAY,
THE 21ST. AND GET WHATEVER THEY
CAN GET.
WE KNOW IT’S A TOUGH TIME FOR
EVERYBODY, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE
EVERY LITTLE
BIT COUNTS. >>JENNIFER READY: AND SYDNEY REAL QUICKLY BEFORE WE GO ARE
YOU EXCITED ABOUT THE 21 HOUR
BLITZ AND THE BUDDY WALK.
>> YEAH.
>>JENNIFER READY: WELL WE HOPE
YOU GUYS ENJOY IT AND THANK YOU
BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US
THIS MORNING AGAIN YOU CAN BE
PART OF THE
21 HOUR BLITZ BY GOING TO THE
AS SAY J DOT ORG AND THEN
EITHER JOINING OR STARTING A
BUDDY WALK TEAM,
OR YOU CAN DONATE DIRECTLY ALL
OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE UP
ON OUR WEBSITE NEWS 4 JAX DOT