DASCO Hosts 28th Festival, 5K Run This Weekend

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma is kicking it off early with its huge festival. 

“This is our 28tth festival to celebrate down syndrome,” DASCO executive director Sarah Soell said.

DASCO works to promote acceptance and inclusion for people with down syndrome. 

“We provide parent meeting and support for our families and the resources and the tools that they need to raise a child with special needs,” Soell said. 

DASCO will have their big festival and 5K run Saturday.  

“We will kick of the day at 7 a.m. with our 5K registration here at the Myriad Botanical Gardens,” said Soell. 

In addition to the 5K, there will be one mile fun run which starts at 8 a.m. 

“After that, we will do our awareness walk that will be at 9:45 (a.m.), and we will have about three to 4,000 people joining us and about 90 family teams here,” said Soell. 

The Duren family said they are grateful for an organization like DASCO.

“Events like this bring the community together to really show that Gentry is just a person,” said Ross Duren, whose daughter Gentry has down syndrome. 

“Just being down here and being around people who are living this life, you understand that they’re just people and they want to be treated that way,” said Candace Newport. 

Along with the walks is the big festival. 

“We’ll have food trucks in addition to all the carnivals and inflatables,” Soell said. “We also have the Oklahoma City Fire Department will be here and handing out stickers and doing touch a truck with the kids.”

It’s an event for everyone with a DJ and talent show. 

For more information on the festival, click here.