Omaha walk, festival held to raise awareness for Down Syndrome [Video]

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — One in every 775 babies are born with Down Syndrome in the United States. On Sunday, thousands of people gathered at the Riverfront to raise awareness for them.

2024 marked the 23rd year for the Step Up For Down Syndrome Walk and Family Festival. It’s hosted each year by the Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands.

Participation numbers at the event continue to grow. Event Coordinator Samantha Kruse said there were around 3,000 people signed up to take part in the 2024 walk.

This year marked the first time the event was held at Heartland of America Park.

“We are so excited to be partnering with the Riverfront this year,” Kruse said. “It has been such an amazing collaboration. Especially moving to this location, it’s really raised the visibility of the area. We’re just so excited for that partnership.”

Kruse said the event was created to bring awareness to resources within the Down Syndrome community; both locally and across …