DOWN SYNDROME ASSN OF NE INDIANA

DSANI WAS PROUD TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS TO OVER 260 FAMILIES DURING 2025. OVERALL PROGRAM ATTENDANCE WAS STEADY. INFANT-TODDLER PLAYGROUP - THE PLAYGROUP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFANT AND YOUNGSTERS (AGES 0-4) TO PLAY AND SOCIALIZE WHILE THEIR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS FIND SUPPORT IN A FUN AND ENVIRONMENT. FAMILIES WHO HAVE MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN ARE STILL HESITANT TO ATTEND GROUP OUTINGS. THIS GROUP WAS NOT AS ACTIVE IN 2025, AS THERE WAS NO VOLUNTEER CHAIR. BUDDY CLUB - THIS GROUP OFFERS SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AGES 5-12, TYPICALLY MEETING EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS. CURRENT AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IS 20 PEOPLE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: PARK PLAY DATES, CRAFT DAY, ZOO MEET UPS, ETC. FRIENDSHIP CLUB - AIMED FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 13 TO 21, THIS GROUP INCLUDES TEENS WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OTHER LEARNING DISABILITIES, AS YOUTHS WITH DS DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS IN SCHOOL AND IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS GROUP DID NOT MEET IN 2025 AS THERE WAS NO GROUP CHAIR. SELF-ADVOCATES - INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME WHO ARE 21 AND OLDER. TOTAL ATTENDANCE FOR SOCIAL EVENTS - 139 (5 EVENTS IN 2025). ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: SPONSORING AN EASTER EGG HUNT FOR YOUNGER FRIENDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME, PIZZA & MOVIE NIGHT, BOWLING, FRIENDSGIVING DINNER, ETC. DADS GROUP - DADS APPRECIATING DOWN SYNDROME. THIS GROUP PROVIDES SPECIAL EVENTS TO BRING TOGETHER DADS IN SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER AND TO BUILD STRONG FAMILIES. THIS GROUP ONLY MET ONCE IN 2025 AS THE DADS CHAIR HAD TO STEP DOWN FROM THE POSITION, DUE TO JOB DEMANDS. MOMS GROUP - THIS GROUP WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE DSANI MOTHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH OTHER MOTHERS, LISTEN TO GUEST SPEAKERS AND ENJOY TIME WITH OTHER MOMS. ATTENDANCE DURING FOUR 2025 DINNERS - 50. OUTREACH - THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE IS UNDOUBTEDLY OUR MOST IMPORTANT, AS THIS IS THE COMMITTEE WHO WELCOMES FAMILIES NEW TO THE WORLD OF DOWN SYNDROME, INTO OUR ORGANIZATION. IN 2025, WE CONTINUED MEETING WITH NEW FAMILIES IN OUR 11 COUNTY SERVICE AREA. THIS WAS DONE TO INTRODUCE DSANI TO THEM, PROVIDE INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. IN 2025, WE WELCOMED 9 NEW FAMILIES TO DSANI. PROGRAM EVENTS - IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIAL-INTEREST OR AGE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT DSANI TYPICALLY SPONSORS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, 2025 SAW DSANI HOSTING A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, NEW AND OLD. WE HELD A NUMBER OF ZOOM AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. VARIOUS SPEAKERS PRESENTED TOPICS PERTINENT TO THE DOWN SYNDROME COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HOSTED IN PERSON WORKSHOPS, BRINGING NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DOWN SYNDROME SPECIALISTS TO FORT WAYNE. A TOTAL OF 90 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE SESSIONS. WE HOSTED A 3-21 (WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY) CELEBRATION IN 2025. OVER 190 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE HOSTED AN EASTER EGG HUNT FOR OUR FAMILIES. 67 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. DSANI HOSTED A PONY RIDE EVENT FOR OUR FAMILIES. A TOTAL OF 65 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. IN JUNE 2025, DSANI HOSTED THE EVER POPULAR AND REQUESTED ICAN BIKE CAMP. THROUGH A PROPRIETARY PROGRAM, THIS CAMP TEACHES PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES (NOT ONLY DOWN SYNDROME), AGES 8+ TO INDEPENDENTLY RIDE A TWO WHEEL BIKE. WE HOSTED A TOTAL OF 36 RIDERS THROUGHOUT THIS ONE WEEK CAMP. INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS AND RIDERS, A TOTAL OF 81 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE HELD THE ANNUAL DSANI TINCAPS EVENT IN JULY, AS THIS WAS A TOTALLY OUTDOOR EVENT. THERE WERE 116 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED. OUR ANNUAL BUDDY WALK, OUR LARGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR, WAS HELD IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. A TOTAL OF OVER 3,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS FANTASTIC CELEBRATION. WE SAW NEAR RECORD DONATIONS AND RECORD ATTENDANCE AT THIS EVENT, HELD ANNUALLY AT PARKVIEW FIELD. IN OCTOBER 2025, WE HOSTED OUR FAMILIES AT OUR ANNUAL FALL FEST EVENT. A TOTAL OF 169 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. IN OCTOBER 2025, AS PART OF DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH, WE OFFERED FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPOTLIGHT THEIR LOVED ONE IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST. 35 FAMILIES TOOK PART IN THIS OFFERING. IN NOVEMBER 2025, WE HOSTED DR. STACEY TAYLOR FOR A "BEHAVIOR NEWS YOU CAN USE" WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS. THERE WERE 30 ATTENDEES. WE HELD OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY IN EARLY DECEMBER. OVER 270 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS VERY POPULAR EVENT. ONLY PRE-PACKAGED SNACK FOOD WAS SERVED, VISITS WITH SANTA WERE A HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENT; AND GAMES, CRAFT ACTIVITIES AND A DANCE WERE ENJOYED BY THOSE IN ATTENDANCE. ALONG WITH OUR MANY GROUPS AND PROGRAMS, DSANI ALSO PROVIDES: 1) LIBRARY RESOURCES 2) INFORMATIONAL EMAILS TO MEMBERS 3) OUTREACH & EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND PRESENTATIONS TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS & COMMUNITY GROUPS 4) RESOURCE REFERRALS TO FAMILIES WHO REQUEST SUCH 5) WEBSITE 6) A TREMENDOUS SUPPORT/MENTOR NETWORK FOR PARENTS WE ALSO CONTINUED NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS, PROFESSIONAL GROUPS, ETC. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. OUR DSANI FAMILY CONTINUES TO GROW, AS DO OUR OFFERINGS TO OUR FAMILIES.