Thanksgiving with a First Downs Family

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to reflect on our lives and what we are thankful for. At First Downs For Down Syndrome, we are so thankful for all the love and support we have received from the community for over 20 years. We have been able to help so many families in the Kansas City area through the generosity of our supporters. One of the people involved with FDFDS is Toni Harrison and her family. We asked her about what she’s thankful for this Thanksgiving and what a Thanksgiving day means to her.

• What does your family usually do for Thanksgiving?

When thinking about Thanksgiving our family looks at it as an extended holiday.  Along with Thanksgiving we usually have a birthday celebration. Eli, who will be 16 this year, was born on November 23. There has been a couple years where his birthday was on Thanksgiving.

So for the actual day we go to paternal side of the family for lunch and then the maternal side of the family for dinner. Extended family is at both gatherings. This year due to other relatives schedule we are going to do the maternal side on Saturday.  We are excited because we will actually be able to enjoy eating that meal. Usually we are so full, it is hard to enjoy eating the second meal. Both sides of the families’ parents live in Kansas City North so it makes it much easier to divide time between both families. Both meals are hosted by mom/grandma.

• What are some family favorite dishes?  

I make Raisin Cream Pie, which is always requested on the maternal side of the family. Family favorites depend on who you ask but would include turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes and pie.  So basically the whole meal are favorites!

• Do you have any other traditions during the weekend having to do with Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving week is full of traditions for us. Eli’s birthday is usually sometime that week so we celebrate it by going out to eat. Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve we decorate the house for Christmas, which is usually a full day event! Friday after Thanksgiving, up to last year, we have gone to the Christmas tree farm, bundled up and went on a wagon ride to cut down a tree.

This was always such a fun outing, but ended after years of struggling getting the tree up. Then the year when the tree just got completely decorated, we went to another room and heard a crash and breaking glass.  We went into the room to see the over 8 foot tree laying on the floor with decorations broke everywhere.  

It was fun trying to put the tree up for a second time and tying it to the wall to keep it up right. So now we decorate our beautiful artificial Christmas tree on Friday, while drinking eggnog and the fire going!  Then we usually are excited to watch the Missouri Tigers and the Chiefs play football over the weekend.   

• What are you and your family thankful for?

We are so thankful for everyone being healthy and for family, friends and acquaintances that have touched our lives over the last year.

• Are there any Thanksgiving memories or stories you’d like to share?

Our favorite memory of Thanksgiving is in 1999, Tuesday late afternoon before Thanksgiving I went into labor. We preceded to the hospital and I got into a room.  I went into labor so fast that our doctor wasn’t able to get there because he was the only one on staff due to the Thanksgiving break.

I remember hearing over the hospital intercom that they needed a delivery doctor in my room STAT. The emergency room doctor was there shortly. Eli was born quickly and healthy at 7:09 pm!!  We both were released from the hospital late in the afternoon Thanksgiving Eve.  His first holiday gathering was Thanksgiving lunch with a huge group of people, when he was less than 48 hours old!

What a perfect time of year to be thankful for the best gift a parent can receive: a healthy new baby! Both Eli and his older brother Noah attended the Down Syndrome Guild Prom this spring and were part of the Step Up Walk this fall with their family. We’re so thankful to have amazing families like Toni’s who support and participate in First Downs for Down Syndrome events throughout the year.

During this time, don’t forget to celebrate #GivingTuesday throughout the holiday season! This day is dedicated to giving to those truly in need. Giving can mean three different things: advocating, donating, or volunteering.  We invite you to think about giving to those in need, whether it be a family member, friend, or an organization like ours that prospers from your support and involvement. Even if you can’t donate your time or money this season, we  invite you to share our #GivingTuesday campaign with friends and family to give FDFDS as much support as possible.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and thank you for your constant support!

20th Annual Step Up Walk

The 20th Annual Step Up Walk at the Berkley Riverfront Park for First Downs for Down Syndrome was an amazing success and our biggest turnout yet! Thanks to everyone who came out to support FDFDS, from the amazing teams of friends and family who walked for their loved ones to volunteers who made the day happen, we appreciate each and everyone one of you.

With your help, we raised over 500 thousand dollars, more than any other First Downs event in our organization’s history! With these contributions, we can help more families and their children in the area more than ever before. Watch the video below to see all the fun times we shared that day!

Though it was a brisk day, we had blue skies and a whole park full of exciting activities for everyone who came out! The fresh food, pony rides, pumpkin bowling and other pumpkin games were popular with the younger kids on the east side of the park with the beautiful Bond bridge on the horizon. On the west side of the park, we had delicious KFC catering, fun juggling and entertainment performances, trampolines, and the challenging rock wall to continue the fun.

And of course, in the middle right near the Step Up Walk’s starting line, we had tons of awesome bounce houses and stage where we had fun activities going on all day. The best part of the day was seeing all the tents filled with teams who turned out to support someone special in their lives who they chose to walk for that day.

On the behalf of everyone at FDFDS, we want to say thank you for the constant support for the Down Syndrome community in Kansas City. The events our organization puts together and the successes we achieve wouldn’t be possible without the support of this amazing community. Our goal to help families and raise positive awareness for all the incredible people in our lives and around the world with Down syndrome is made possible through you.

Check out the rest of the awesome photos from the walk on our Facebook! We can’t wait to see you again next year for an even bigger and better walk!