October was Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and the Lakeland Regional High School Unified Club encouraged the Lakeland community to wear blue on October 30, 2023. This is why we wore blue:
Awareness:
Down syndrome is when a person is born with an extra chromosome. According to the CDC, chromosomes are “small ‘packages’ of genes in the body,” and the extra one can cause the body and brain to develop differently.
Even though a person with Down syndrome usually has some physical, intellectual, and developmental challenges, they share common goals and ambitions as anyone else. We wear blue to make sure misconceptions about Down syndrome are not believed as truth – people with Down syndrome can drive, work, go to school and college, date, get married, and be a contributing member of society.
(Courtesy of the Lakeland Live Feed)
Celebration:
During Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we also celebrate those with the condition and their accomplishments. At Lakeland Regional High School, the CORE and LEARN programs showcase students in all different walks of life, including those with Down syndrome, performing in the arts, working at jobs, and kicking butt on the sports fields. The LRHS Unified Club helps bring together these amazing students and programs to the school community at large.
