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\u2019s Times Square. Her photograph was selected from more than 2,700 entries worldwide to be featured in the National Down Syndrome Society\u2019s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video Presentation on Saturday, September 12.<\/p>\n
The one-hour presentation, which features 500 individuals with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries, will display Presley\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
For Presley\u2019s family, her selection is a testament to the daily light she brings into their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, every morning she wakes up and she\u2019s smiling, she\u2019s laughing, she\u2019s making jokes, everybody around her,\u201d said Paris Chance, Presley\u2019s sister. \u201cAnd honestly, I would say that sometimes she\u2019s even more happier than individuals who might not have Down syndrome. So she\u2019s really taught me what true joy and inclusion looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Chance family plans to travel to New York to watch the presentation in person. Presley\u2019s father, Danny Chance, emphasized the importance of representation and the positive message this achievement sends to local families in Northeast Louisiana.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad that it brings awareness locally as well,\u201d Danny Chance said. \u201cMaybe 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\u2019re pretty excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Presley\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re 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,\u201d Maggie Chance said. \u201cSo they\u2019ll just have more opportunity in the job world and their community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
You can watch the livestream on the NDSS Facebook page. <\/p>\n
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