2025 DSAWM Step Up for Down Syndrome
Step Right Up & Celebrate DSAWM's 40th Anniversary!
$23,163Raised of $135,000
Step Right Up with DSAWM!
As DSAWM celebrates our 40th anniversary, we invite you to “Step Right Up” and celebrate carnival-style at the 2025 Step Up for Down Syndrome event!
Step Up for Down Syndrome is the largest Down syndrome awareness event in Michigan and the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan’s (DSAWM) biggest fundraiser.
This year’s celebration will be held on Saturday, September 6th from 3-7 PM at Hudsonville Fairgrounds and will feature carnival games, prizes, food trucks, a disability-focused resource fair, music, and more! We will also be celebrating DSAWM's 40th anniversary with a look back at the milestones that have defined the past 40 years.
We expect this to be our biggest event yet with over 1,000 attendees coming together for this highly anticipated community celebration and ceremonial walk. This is the time to come together to support our loved ones with Down syndrome and we are excited to welcome new and returning members, friends, and family, back together for a full day of celebration and community.
Get Ready to Step Up!
Every spring, DSAWM launches our Step Up for Down Syndrome fundraising campaign. Step Up is our biggest fundraiser of the year and all proceeds benefit DSAWM's programs and services, ensuring our families have equitable access to robust support at no cost to them.
What makes Step Up so special is that it's a peer-to-peer campaign. That means the majority of fundraising is generated by our members. Families create teams which they then encourage others to join or donate to throughout the spring and summer. Last year, nearly 60% of total funds raised were brought in by teams.
Step Up fundraising comes to an end in early September with an all-ages, family-friendly carnival celebration at Hudsonville Fairgrounds. Over 1,000 people have joined the fun the past few years, including our members, their family and friends, and others in West Michigan passionate about supporting and advocating for the Down syndrome community.
This year, as DSAWM celebrates its 40th anniversary, we hope to raise $135,000 to support program expansion into more counties, develop employment and transportation solutions for young adults, and connect with more expectant and new families across our service area.
There are multiple ways to get involved in this year’s event, from creating or joining a team, sponsoring, or donating to partnering or volunteering. Visit our "How to Step Up" page to learn how you can participate.
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Support New Experiences
DSAWM is passionate about offering our members new programming and engagement experiences. What's on the horizon this year? A Kalamazoo theater workshop, adaptive archery clinic, surf & turf camp, lakeshore social gatherings, and more!
$25
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