- November 28, 2024
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Neon green shirts toned down the orange pumpkins at Hunsader Farms Saturday.
Manasota B.U.D.S. (Bringing Up Down Syndrome) held its 14th annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness month. About 1,500 people from Manatee and Sarasota and participated. The 2015 Miss Florida Teen, Leah Roddenberry of Bradenton, crowned the king and queen of this year's walk, Matthew Miller of Bradenton and Kelley Rouse of Sarasota. The two lead the walk, which began just after 11 a.m. The walk is one of 250 Buddy walks across the country.
Some participants came together to support a particular person with Down syndrome. The "Jared Rocks" team came to support Jared Stancil, a 9-year-old from Bradenton.
"We've been coming out for this for nine years, since he was a baby," said his mom, Michele. "It's so great to see the support and what it's grown into."