NDSC Soiree of Stars Gala Invite
The National Down Syndrome Congress Soiree of Stars Gala Benefit Committee is proud to invite you to join us on October 22, 2020, for our inaugural Soiree of Stars Virtual Gala. The Gala will stream live as we will bring together thousands of guests to shine the light on individuals, organizations, and corporations, making a difference in the lives of individuals with Down syndrome.
NDSC is the country’s oldest and largest national organization serving people with Down syndrome. For more than four decades, NDSC has worked tirelessly to foster networks of local and regional groups across the country and globe to connect with and embrace people with Down syndrome, their families, friends, and the professionals who support them. Recent world and national events have pushed us to work harder than ever before.
- NDSC has provided 15 hours of content through our Parent Webinar Series, covering topics such as Discrimination in Medical Care Rationing, IDEA Implementation During COVID-19, Maximizing Online Learning for Students With Disabilities – a 3-part series, and Back to School or Not, helping parents understand the legal on IDEA rights as they make the difficult choice as to how their children will begin the 2020-2021 school year. With sessions in English and Spanish, we have served over 6,000 people. We will continue to provide information in the coming months as we will present our Ages and Stages Learning Series beginning this fall.
- In collaboration with other national disability organizations, we have developed and twice updated, both abbreviated and extended versions of a Q&A on COVID-19 and Down syndrome in English and Spanish. NDSC experts played lead roles in providing medical expertise and translating the material into Spanish for the project.
- We quickly pivoted from our in-person, 4-day, Annual Convention, to a seven-week, virtual event. More than 3,000 virtual attendees were able to access 50 live and recorded sessions for parents, siblings, and self-advocates, and had the opportunity to participate in 18 sharing sessions and other social events.
- The NDSC Policy Team in Washington, D.C. has been working diligently to ensure that the rights or people with Down syndrome are protected. Our team played a crucial role in protecting the rights of students with disabilities by developing an in-depth analysis presented to Congress and the Department of Education that concluded that IDEA waivers are not necessary and stopped the inclusion of broad waivers to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the CARES Act.
- Our Policy Team addressed constituent concerns regarding discriminatory medical treatment rationing leading a collaborative webinar with other national organizations and through a podcast with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Down Syndrome Center of Western Pennsylvania.
- We have created a resource that caregivers may access explaining hospital visitation rights during COVID-19 should a loved one be hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- NDSC has hosted two Town Hall Meetings on Race Relations addressing systemic racism in both the Down syndrome community and society-at-large.
- We have worked with our nationwide network of affiliates to develop the #CountUsIn initiative, a joint effort to address racism, as it impacts individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
In response to these current events, we have added new resource libraries to our website, providing our members with practical, up-to-date, and accurate information regarding COVID-19 and Race Relations. Most recently, we launched our Your Voice, Your Vote Resource Library to address questions around the upcoming elections.
To View the NDSC COVID-19 Resource Library
To View the NDSC Race Relations Library
To View the NDSC Your Voice ~ Your Vote Library
GET INVOLVED, MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We are inviting you to join us at this extremely critical time by serving on the Soiree of Stars Benefit Committee. As part of the Benefit Committee, you will be NDSC’s driving force to raise more than $250k! Members are asked to engage and mobilize their networks to raise $1,000 or more through a personal gift or by garnering donations from their networks. In acknowledgment of your dedication, you will be recognized in the digital gala invitation and listed on the NDSC website.
Create Your Fundraising Page
Raise a minimum of $1,000 and be recognized on invitation and NDSC website
Should you have questions regarding the NDSC Benefit Committee, or to join the committee, please contact NDSC Development Director, Christine Milano, at (770) 604-9500 ext. 104 or Christine@NDSCCenter.org. She is ready to help in whatever way needed to facilitate your participation and in reaching your network.
Soiree of Stars Gala Campaign Details & Leader Board
Register to Attend the Event
The event is free, but this is a fundraising event
