I was nominated for the Good Neighbor Award in the Cach-Rich Association of Realtors®. The person that nominated me asked if I would write a letter explaining how I got involved with the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation and what I do. This is the letter I wrote. I thought some of you might like to see it.
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When my son, Bennett, was born in 2003 with Down Syndrome we found that there was no support system from other families with Down Syndrome children in Logan. Through the Up 2-3 (the early intervention program at Utah State University) we were able to meet two other families with sons about the same age as ours. We started getting together once a month to let our kids play and we talked about what we were going through. When we would hear about another child with Downs we would invite their family to join in our play group. We liked to have treats, and do activities, but we didn't have any funding. In 2006 I started donating a little to the group each time I had a closing.
In 2006 we found out about the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. They had a chapter in Cache Valley years ago, but it had been dissolved. One of the mothers in our group contacted the UDSF president and we restarted the Cache County Chapter of the UDSF. Maria Leishman is the President, and I am the Treasurer.
The UDSF has a few state wide activities during the year at Hoogle Zoo and Lagoon. The Cache Valley group continues to meet once a month and go to places like Cache Valley fun Park and the Willow park zoo. We have an Easter egg hunt, Christmas party and a Buddy Walk fundraiser. We also have a float in many of the parades in the Cache Valley. My favorite is the 4th of July parade in Hyrum.
The group gives a gift basket to the new mother at the hospital each time a baby with Down syndrome is born. It contains information that we have found helpful, a book about children with Down syndrome and the information for the early intervention program. It also has our names and phone numbers so if the new parents have questions they can call us at any time.
Although we receive some funding from the UDSF and we make some for our Buddy Walk Fundraiser, I have continued to donate to the group from each closing to help pay for our activities. My wife Ashley and I send out by-monthly newsletters letting all the families in the Valley know about up coming activities. We send out about 40 newsletters, and between 8 and 12 families come to the activities. This year for the first time I organized a Father and Son day out. We went to a USU football game as a group. We hope to make this an annual activity.
People with Down syndrome are amazing, but when our son was born we felt like we were alone and nobody knew what we were going through. We started our group so new parents of children with Down syndrome will know that they have a support system of other parents that have gone through what they are dealing with.
Thanks for you support.
Johnnie Rosser
RE/MAX Excel
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