Double celebration for World Down's Syndrome Day

A fun day was held at Pontefract Park to celebrate World Down's Syndrome Day.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Myla Johnson makes her way through the assault course at the Down Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Myla Johnson makes her way through the assault course at the Down Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Myla Johnson makes her way through the assault course at the Down Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.

Families took part in an event packed full of games and races to mark the occasion, officially celebrated on March 21.

The fun day, which also included a bouncy castle and musical performances, took place on March 19.

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Alexis Sharp, of the Wakefield and District Down’s Syndrome Group, said: “There was a fabulous turn out. A lot of people came down in support of Down’s Syndrome awareness and everyone had fun together.”

Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Mr Crumble entertaining the children at the Downs Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Mr Crumble entertaining the children at the Downs Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/YWNG - 19/03/16 - Press - World Downs Syndrome Day - Pontefract Park, Pontefract, England - Mr Crumble entertaining the children at the Downs Syndrome event at Pontefract Park.

It was a double celebration for the group, which has just been granted £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

More than 3,000 people voted for them as part of the People’s Projects scheme. Members of the community were asked to pick their top three favourite projects in the Yorkshire region, determining what lottery money would be used for.

And the group captured the hearts of the region with its plan to provide support and training for parents and siblings of children with Down’s Syndrome and to invest in play equipment, social trips and activities to help Down’s children develop life skills.

Ms Sharp said: “All I can say to people is thank you so much for getting behind us. This money is going to change a lot of things for children in the community around here.”

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