Tickets are moving again for Tampa's Rise-Up for Down Syndrome Gala, the annual fundraiser that sold out last year and returns to the Tampa River Center on October 3. The evening runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and brings together families, sponsors, and a handful of familiar Tampa Bay media faces to raise money for programs serving people with Down syndrome across the region.
The gala is hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Tampa Bay (DSATB), a nonprofit founded in January 2018 by Executive Director Craig Woodard Sr. and six co-founders after the birth of Woodard's son, Craig Jr., in 2014, according to the Down Syndrome Association of Tampa Bay. Woodard had previously served as vice president of another local Down syndrome support group before starting DSATB. As Tampa Bay 28 reports, the event is billed as an annual celebration of the community, families, and individuals with Down syndrome, and this year's edition returns after last year's gala sold out.
This year's gala will be held at the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, a 2,880-square-foot city-owned waterfront venue with floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the Hillsborough River. The facility was built as part of a $35 million park redevelopment completed in 2018, per the City of Tampa. Presenting sponsor Achieva Credit Union is backing the event; the credit union funds local health and human services nonprofits through its philanthropic arm, the Achieva Foundation, and its Giving for GOOD card program.
Tickets, Free Admission, and a Familiar Emcee
Adult tickets run $70, while tickets for guests aged 17 and under cost $21 — a nod to the extra 21st chromosome that causes Down syndrome. Individuals with Down syndrome or other special needs receive free admission to the gala, per the event details shared by Tampa Bay 28. Radio host and television personality Roxanne Wilder, co-host of Tampa Bay's Morning Blend on Tampa Bay 28, has served as the gala's emcee for multiple consecutive years, according to Q105.
An awards ceremony during the evening will honor local figures, including FOX 13 news anchor Walter Allen with the Community Advocacy Award and meteorologist Mike Boylan of Mike's Weather Page with the Leadership Impact Award, per the Down Syndrome Association of Tampa Bay. Other honorees include special education specialist Christina Turner and Tennis for Fun Florida director Judy Moore. Tampa Bay's Morning Blend, the lifestyle show that first aired coverage of the gala, regularly features community organizations, businesses, and happenings around the Bay area as part of its informative, entertainment-focused programming.
Where the Money Goes
The gala functions as more than a party — it is the financial engine behind DSATB's free family services. The organization provides no-cost speech therapy and occupational therapy through its monthly 3.21 Art Class, supported in part by grant funding from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, with therapy sessions integrated into art lessons led by DSATB board secretary Mercedes Anderson, according to the association.
DSATB also offers Individualized Education Program Advocacy Scholarships, which pay for professional advocates to accompany families to school district meetings to help secure special education services. Those advocacy services are coordinated with the specialized agency DeveLOVED Co., the nonprofit notes. For families navigating school systems on behalf of a child with Down syndrome, that kind of support can determine whether a student gets the accommodations they need.
A Growing, Longer-Living Community
Down syndrome remains the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States, occurring in roughly 1 in every 640 to 700 live births — about 5,700 to 6,000 newborns each year — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. Between 50% and 65% of infants born with Down syndrome have a congenital heart defect, the CDC notes, making early pediatric cardiology evaluations an essential part of care since heart conditions represent the leading cause of early childhood mortality in this population.
Medical advances and the end of widespread institutionalization have dramatically reshaped outcomes for people with the condition. The average life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome in the U.S. rose from about 10 years in 1960 to nearly 60 years today, according to the CDC, with early surgical repair for congenital heart defects contributing significantly to that gain. That broader shift underscores why local advocacy and support networks like DSATB have grown increasingly central to family life in Tampa Bay.
The push for inclusive community resources extends beyond the gala. Hoodline previously reported on a Tampa housing complex with units set aside for residents with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities, reflecting a wider local effort to expand options for people with disabilities and their families. As October — Down Syndrome Awareness Month — approaches, organizers hope this year's Rise-Up Gala will again sell out and keep funding the free therapy and advocacy services families rely on throughout the year.
