The Down’s Syndrome Foundation’s 6th Annual Buddy Walk

My former all-star cheerleading gym, Dream Allstars of Gaithersburg, MD, sponsors a special needs cheerleading squad called “Destiny” which preformed at the 6th Annual Buddy Walk.

My younger sister, Caroline, has been a volunteer coach for this squad since it was first formed when she was 11.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen is also a big supporter of the Down's Syndrome Foundation.  We had a chance to discuss what I've been doing to promote my platform and the International Pageant System.

This year, they partnered with the Special Olympics to be the first cheerleading squad ever to perform in the Special Olympics.

This allows these special children the opportunity to participate in a team sport and develop teamwork, cooperation skills, and confidence- they always get “first place”!

It’s also great exercise!

They have been featured on ABC News, Good Morning America, and on the front page of the Washington Post.

I have cheered them on at several of their competitions, as well as their performance this past weekend at the Buddy Walk.

These children are an inspiration to me- they are happy, positive, and driven despite the fact that they are labeled as “disabled”.

Truthfully, though they might achieve their goals through different means than you or I, these children are so driven and capable of pursuing their dreams that it is hard for me to see them as “disabled”.

Juliana McKee