Garage sale raises funds for Buddy Walk participant, NYC trip

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — A Fort Wayne mom hosted a garage sale, lemonade stand and bake sale Monday to raise money for her son, who will soon head to New York City for the annual National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk, which has brought participants from around the country to the Big Apple each year since 1995, consists of a video presentation at Times Square and the walk itself, which takes place in Central Park. Brittnee Allee's son, Henry, has Down syndrome and is one of 500 people who will have their photo displayed in Times Square. Allee and her children plan to travel to New York City Thursday ahead of the events, which take place Saturday, Sept. 12. 'I'm excited to meet different moms and their kiddos with Down syndrome and just being able to be around other people that know what it's like to have a kid with Down syndrome,' Allee said. Allee told WANE 15 she appreciates seeing events like the Buddy Walk because spreading awareness of Down syndrome is important and something that has helped her personally while raising Henry. 'I had him when I was 24-25. That's really not common because they say it's people that are older … so it was hard to find a community that we could be in,' Allee said. 'I joined a couple Facebook groups, found a couple of amazing moms … being able to be around them and just have the connection is so amazing.' Fort Wayne features its own Buddy Walk through the Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana (DSANI), which will also be on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Summit City has also had other people participate in the NYC Buddy Walk in previous years.