For Immediate Release - March 19, 2021
Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society (WWDSS) will debut their “3-2-1 Dance! (Rock Your Socks)” song on World Down Syndrome Day at a 21-Hour Global Dance Party.
Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society is excited to debut their “3-2-1 Dance! (Rock Your Socks)” song at the 21-hour virtual Global Dance Party which will feature DJs from around the world to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st.
WWDSS created a song in collaboration with local recording artist and producer Alysha Brilla, 3x Juno nominated recording artist and producer. Alysha ran a songwriting workshop with our members and created a song that celebrates people with Down syndrome. It begins: “I am unique, I am a diamond. I’m gonna shine like I am one of a kind”. The song recording includes WWDSS members singing, and features Ren Franklin, one of their adult members. Ren loves to dance and sing and was an active participant in the creation of our song. People with Down syndrome commonly have speech difficulties which is why we are so proud to hear her beautiful and confident voice featured in this catchy tune.
The song’s official debut will take place during a Global Dance Party on Sunday, March 21st hosted by the DSAO (Down Syndrome Association of Ontario) and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Running for 21 hours on Zoom and Twitch simultaneously, the song will be featured between 7 pm and 8 pm local time. The event has been registered with the Guinness Book of Records and we encourage everyone to join in this fun event and help break a record! We hope to have the highest amount of people on screen at one time in support of this virtual awareness event. The “3-2-1 Dance! (Rock Your Socks)” song will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube on March 21st and we encourage schools and other groups to play the song and have their own sock hop as a way of connecting and having fun through dance.
WWDSS has been preparing for Word Down Syndrome Day since March 1st with the launch of our 3-2-1 Dance! campaign. We sold out of our first order of custom WWDSS 3-2-1 Dance! socks and are accepting pre-orders at www.wwdss.ca for the next shipment. We challenged members of the community to dance in their colourful socks and they rose to the occasion. Visit our social media channels to find government leaders, educators, support agencies, local businesses, dance studios, a Toronto Raptors game day host along with our members dancing and showing off their colourful socks. All met the challenge with their creative flare, big smiles, and dancing feet in support of our members with Down syndrome.
For all of March, we partnered with Waterloo-based restaurant, Chef on Call, in a Donator Burger campaign to raise awareness and funds for WWDSS. For every Donator Burger purchased in the month of March, $2 will be donated to WWDSS. Chef on Call’s Donator Burger is a crispy hand breaded chicken patty, topped with a homemade tabouli sauce, hummus, and a garlic mayo spread. As always, it comes with a side of curly fries and choice of dipping sauce. Order yours through www.chefoncalldelivery.com.
Chef on Call also hosted a virtual cooking session on March 14th with some of our members to share their cooking skills!
About World Down Syndrome Day World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is an annual celebration on March 21 (3/21). It was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome, 3rd month, twenty first day. The idea of Rock Your Socks was born from the chromosomes themselves, which are shaped a bit like socks. To celebrate and raise awareness, people are wearing their brightest socks and sharing the pictures on social media across the globe.
Why 3 2 1 Dance! Campaign? It is without question that the pandemic has affected all of our lives. Individuals with Down syndrome can be affected more than others during this time in a number of ways. They can be more vulnerable to the effects of Covid19. Their opportunities for employment, volunteer placements and programming may be cancelled or limited. School is functioning differently which can cause additional challenges for students with Down syndrome. These limitations can impact their daily lives and decrease their ability to fully contribute their talents and gifts to our community. This year we have created a virtual campaign that would reach out to our community, support the businesses and individuals who support our organization, and celebrate people with Down syndrome - and above all - bridging the social isolation with some fun!
The goal of our campaign is to raise awareness for WWDSS and the great work we are doing to support families and people with Down syndrome while having fun and connecting with our community through dance! In the fall of 2020, we changed our name from Waterloo Regional Down Syndrome Society to Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society to recognize the geographic area of the members we serve - including Guelph. We want everyone to know that we are here to support families and individuals with Down Syndrome to reach their full potential!
We hope you will drop your inhibitions, put on your colourful socks and show us your legendary dance moves - #WWDSS321Dance!
Social media: Hashtags: #WWDSS321Dance #WDSD2021 #RockYourSocks
About the Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society: The Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society (formerly the Waterloo Regional Down Syndrome Society) is a charitable, non-profit organization created in 1988 by parents of children with Down syndrome. Entirely run by volunteers, every dollar raised goes towards helping fund the various programs and services provided to our members. The Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society supports and informs individuals, families and the community on issues related to Down syndrome. We advocate for persons with Down syndrome to lead healthy and active lives, enabling them to contribute their unique gifts to our community.
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