A 5-year-old Las Vegas girl named Kay will see her photo flash across two massive digital screens in Times Square early Monday morning, the culmination of years of effort by her mother, who submitted Kay's picture to a national contest every single year since Kay was born. Kay, who loves dancing, playing and cooking, has Down syndrome, and she is one of only two children from the Las Vegas area chosen for this year's presentation.
Kay's mother, Jessica Drake, has submitted her daughter's photo every year since Kay was born, according to FOX5 Vegas. Drake told the station she was thrilled when she finally received the congratulatory email letting her know Kay had been selected. The other Las Vegas-area child chosen this year is a boy named Leo, and both of their photos will appear on the Times Square screens for about seven seconds each, starting at 6 a.m. Monday.
The screens sit in Father Duffy Square at 7th Avenue and West 47th Street, donated by Clear Channel Outdoor for the National Down Syndrome Society's annual Times Square Video presentation, which serves as the official kickoff for the NYC Buddy Walk, according to the National Down Syndrome Society. The organization will livestream the video presentation on its Facebook page, the station's report notes, so families who can't make the trip east can still watch their kids light up the screens in real time.
Thousands of Entries, One Rare Spot
Kay and Leo were chosen from thousands of submissions, per FOX5 Vegas's reporting. The National Down Syndrome Society receives several thousand photo entries every year but selects only about 500 for the presentation, and roughly 95% of those chosen are first-time honorees, as the organization prioritizes new faces from across all 50 states and international countries each year, according to the Altoona Mirror. That rotation policy is part of why Drake's years of repeat submissions finally paid off this time around.
Kay will travel to New York City with her mother and grandmother for the display, the outlet reports. Along for the trip is Kay's service dog, Maeve. Drake said the event promotes inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome, framing the trip as more than just a quick flash on a Times Square screen.
Union and Nonprofit Cover the Travel Costs
The family's travel expenses were sponsored by DSP Connections, which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, and by Kay's grandfather's union, per the same account. FOX5 Vegas identified that union as the 525 Plumbers and Pipe Fitters. That organization, formally United Association Local 525 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and HVAC/R Technicians, was chartered in Las Vegas on July 9, 1938, and represents skilled pipe trades workers across Southern Nevada, according to UA Local 525. Its members have built major infrastructure, military and casino-resort projects in Clark County for more than 85 years.
Darren Chapman said people with Down syndrome deserve to be celebrated, according to the FOX5 Vegas report. That sentiment echoes the broader mission of the National Down Syndrome Society, which was founded in 1979 by Betsy Goodwin and Arden Moulton after Goodwin's daughter Carson was born with Down syndrome and the founders discovered a lack of public resources for affected families, according to Wikipedia. The organization has since grown into the leading national human rights group for individuals with Down syndrome.
From a Single Walk to a National Movement
The Buddy Walk program that Monday's Times Square presentation kicks off began in New York City in 1995 and has since expanded to roughly 150 annual walk events nationwide and internationally. This year's NYC Buddy Walk weekend includes the morning Times Square Video presentation in Father Duffy Square, the walk itself at Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell, and an official partner event at Yankee Stadium, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.
Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States, occurring in about 1 in every 640 live births, or roughly 5,700 infants annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Average life expectancy for people with Down syndrome in the U.S. has climbed from 25 years in 1983 to nearly 60 years today, driven by medical advancements and earlier surgical treatment of congenital defects, according to Emory University School of Medicine.
Back home in Southern Nevada, families like Kay's have another layer of support beyond national campaigns. The Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada was founded in 1987 by local parents around a kitchen table and now provides free community programs across Clark County focused on education, employment and independent living, according to Nevada Business Magazine. It's a reminder that the seven seconds Kay's photo spends glowing over Times Square is really just one visible moment in a much longer, ongoing effort closer to home.
