WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Presley Kate Chance, an eight-year-old student at Claiborne Elementary School in West Monroe, is set to appear in the bright lights of New York City’s Times Square. Her photograph was selected from more than 2,700 entries worldwide to be featured in the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video Presentation on Saturday, September 12.
The one-hour presentation, which features 500 individuals with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries, will display Presley’s photo on two Jumbotron screens. The high-profile event serves as the official kickoff for the annual New York City Buddy Walk in Central Park, an event that has promoted Down syndrome inclusion, awareness, and acceptance since 1995.
For Presley’s family, her selection is a testament to the daily light she brings into their lives.
“I mean, every morning she wakes up and she’s smiling, she’s laughing, she’s making jokes, everybody around her,” said Paris Chance, Presley’s sister. “And honestly, I would say that sometimes she’s even more happier than individuals who might not have Down syndrome. So she’s really taught me what true joy and inclusion looks like.”
The Chance family plans to travel to New York to watch the presentation in person. Presley’s father, Danny Chance, emphasized the importance of representation and the positive message this achievement sends to local families in Northeast Louisiana.
“I’m glad that it brings awareness locally as well,” Danny Chance said. “Maybe it can help with other families with children with Down syndrome and show them there is hope there, you know, to include them there, you know, to be inclusive. So we’re pretty excited.”
Presley’s mother, Maggie Chance, hopes the national exposure will encourage communities to break down barriers and create better pathways to independence for individuals with Down syndrome.
“We’re just hoping it helps people, individuals with Down syndrome and their parents and friends, help them get involved and thrive in their community, have better educational opportunities and get out there and put themselves out there, not be afraid,” Maggie Chance said. “So they’ll just have more opportunity in the job world and their community.”
The Times Square Video Presentation will run from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Central Time (8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time) on September 12.
You can watch the livestream on the NDSS Facebook page.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.