- November 26, 2024
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The seventh-annual Buddy Walk opened Saturday, Oct. 13, with Keaton Wilburn singing the National Anthem, accompanied by Ryan Popp, the grand marshal of this year’s event.
Popp, 25, works full time for Walgreen's warehouse, in Kissimmee. He graduated from high school in 2006, got his driver's license and drives himself to work every day. Popp has Down syndrome, and his presentation to the crowd of about 400 people was encouraging to all in attendance, said Paula Wilburn, founder of Fun Coast Down Syndrome Association.
The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.
