According to Utah Down Syndrome Foundation President Josh Gardner, “This day was selected because Down syndrome or Trisomy 21 occurs when a person has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. World Down Syndrome Day is used to increase global understanding of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome and the roles that people with Down syndrome play in our lives.” Gardner is the parent of a child with Down syndrome and works for Utah Down Syndrome Foundation as a volunteer.
Utah Down Syndrome Foundation is the largest local organization that provides support for the Down syndrome community. Utah Down Syndrome Foundation is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization that was established in 1977 and works to bring families dealing with Down syndrome together. It also strives to educate parents and society in order to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of the needs of children with Down syndrome.
“A study published in the ‘American Academy of Pediatrics Journal’ showed that one in every 730 Utah babies has this genetic disorder, whereas in the nine other states studied, there was only one case in every 848 births,” said Gardner.
The wAIRhouse is located at 3653 S. 500 W. in Salt Lake City and includes two full-size dodgeball courts, four slam-dunk basketball lanes, an open-jump court and a foam pit. All 18 of Coldstone Creamery’s Utah stores--which can be found in Bountiful, Murray, Midvale, West Jordan, Sandy, South Jordan, Draper, Park City, Layton, Tooele, American Fork, Orem, Provo, Spanish Fork and Logan--will be participating in the ice cream giveaway.
Utah Down Syndrome Foundation will be holding its first annual Down Syndrome Educational Conference on Saturday April 20, 2013. To learn more about Utah Down Syndrome Foundation, visit http://www.udsf.org.
