This year for PT Month in Oct., the Section on Pediatrics (SOP) is ‘buddying up’ with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) for their annual Buddy Walks.
You can check out their announcement of our partnership on the
NDSS and Buddy Walk Website.
Our theme is “Buddy Up!” Will you ‘buddy up’ too? It is easy, very worthwhile and fun!
Last year, NDSS had over 200 cities participating. We are hoping to help at as many locations as possible. NDSS will have a table for us at the walk sites. The SOP will provide stickers and educational materials for our volunteers to hand out on the day of the walk.
We need you to volunteer in your city if it is one of NDSS Buddy Walk sites.
- If you are interested, click on Buddy Walk List. This will take you to a page of all the walk sites. Check to see if there is a walk in a city near you. If so, check the date. Please volunteer to be the SOP contact person for that Buddy Walk. Enter your name, email address and US mailing address in the spaces provided. The deadline for doing this is Aug. 10, but the sooner the better! (This will help us know the number of materials to print and allow us time to ship materials to you.) If the space for your area already has a member signed up as the contact person, please contact them to see how you can be involved. You must be a member of the Section on Pediatrics to be the contact person but not to be involved in the activities or the walks.
- If you signed up at Annual Conference, please check your contact information and make corrections if there are any errors. Also, make sure to list your US mailing address in order for us to send you the materials to hand out at the walk.
The PR Committee will contact you to confirm your participation. We will then send you educational materials on resources for families with children with disabilities and stickers to promote PT to distribute at your walk site.
- After you sign up to be the SOP contact person for your area, contact the NDSS coordinator in your area. Do this by going to www.buddywalk.org , Click on “Find a Walk”, click on your state, then click on “Details” next to the city of the walk you are volunteering for. There you will see the contact information for the NDSS coordinator for your area. Contact them to let them know that you will be the SOP contact person and will be giving out educational materials the day of the walk. Confirm that they will have a table for you. Ask if there is anything else you can do to help them. They are waiting to hear from you!
That is all that you NEED to do. Here are some ideas if you want to do more!
- Involve students. This is a great community service project.
- Recruit friends or colleagues to help you at the table.
- Recruit walkers and have them sign up with your local Down Syndrome Society.
- Do fun activities and/or fitness screenings at your table.
- Use the logo to make posters for the table; click on Buddy Up Logo to download.
- Decorate the tables with purple balloons; this is the SOP color and logo.
- Do face paintings of purple balloons; this is the SOP color and logo.
- Take pictures the day of the walk. Be sure to get a SOP Photo Release signed so that we can use your photos in SOP activities.
- Complete the SOP Photo Release and send to Cindy Sliwa at Section on Pediatrics, APTA, PO Box 327, Alexandria, VA 22313.
- Send digital photos to Donna Metzger, PR Chair at donnametzger@bellsouth.net
- Complete and submit a Press Release before and/or after your Buddy Walk to your local paper.
- Following your event, the SOP would appreciate any feedback. Please come back to this website and complete the PT Month 2008 Follow Up Survey.
If you have any questions regarding the SOP PT Month activities, contact Donna Metzger at
donnametzger@bellsouth.net
If you would like more information on the Buddy Walks, go to
www.buddywalk.org
.
Thank you for your interest in ‘buddying up’!
