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Walk Calls Attention to Affliction a Fundraiser for Down Syndrome Draws About 1,000 People to Zorinsky Lake.
By: Elizabeth Ahlin WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Source: Omaha World-Herald
10/09/2005

They donned Husker paraphernalia to keep out the cold, but they were thinking about a different team.

Close to 30 family members, friends and neighbors of Ryan Bisignano, 3, crowded around a sign reading "Team Ryan" before setting out Saturday on the fourth annual Buddy Walk at Zorinsky Lake.

The walk, in its 10th year nationally, raises money while promoting awareness of people with Down syndrome.

Parents, cousins, and friends flanked Ryan, who has Down syndrome, as he ran up and down the path along the lake, stopping at times to ride in a bright red wagon during the one-mile walk.

Before the walk, children danced while a disc jockey blasted music from the Go-Go's and Cyndi Lauper.

People snacked on bagels and pastries while they visited with each other or took advantage of several information booths. Clowns gave away balloons and children had their faces painted.

Money raised from the Buddy Walk goes, in part, toward educating parents, teachers and others about Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that causes mental retardation. The event, organized by the Omaha Down Syndrome Parents Network, drew close to 1,000 people, said committee member Mary McHale.

Lisa and Jeff Kortan were among those who braved the chilly day with their two sons, Shawn and Devin.

Four-year-old Shawn, who has Down syndrome, was the focus of Debbie Branaugh, his grandmother, who drove all the way from Tyndall, S.D., for the event.

"He's been a godsend," Branaugh said.

Shawn sat shyly in his mother's arms while she visited with a stranger, but a few moments later he returned to roughhousing with his 7-year-old brother and some friends.

Lisa Kortan emphasized the value of the Buddy Walk in bringing together people with a common experience.

"There's this whole world out there of special needs you don't know about until you're born into it," said Kortan.

(C) 2005 Omaha World-Herald. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved

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