Over 100 gather to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day at St. George Children’s Museum

Written by Bridger Palmer
March 27, 2024

ST. GEORGE — In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day last week, St. George Children’s Museum sponsored a Utah Down Syndrome Foundation event.

L-R: Katie Christensen and Celeste Hallman said they were thankful to St. George Children’s Museum for sponsoring the annual event, St. George, Utah, March 21, 2024 | Photo by Bridger Palmer, St. George News

March 21 symbolizes the unique genetic condition of Down syndrome, in which individuals have three copies of the 21st chromosome. 

Will Craven, executive director of the St. George Children’s Museum, said when the Southern Utah Down Syndrome Foundation reached out to hold a local event, they welcomed the foundation with open arms.

“When they approached us this year to put it on the calendar, we decided that we wanted it here and were fully supportive of it,” Craven told St. George News. “We decided to let them use the venue for free.”

The deal included exclusive use of the facility, which meant that children and parents could play alongside one another in a community of people who share common experiences.

“They get the evening to themselves, separated from all of our other guests,” Craven said.

The Southern Utah Down Syndrome Association is part of the broader Utah Down Syndrome Foundation, from which they receive funding. Katie Christensen, who serves as co-president of the local association, said that while they have never been denied financing by entities in Salt Lake City, they also accept food donations for its events and encourage community members to donate their time.

“We’re relatively new to St. George,” Christensen said. “We’ve started a fundraiser so community members can donate to our fundraiser and volunteer with our kids.”

Donations from local businesses significantly contributed to the event. Nom Nom Cookies in Hurricane and Sloth Cookies in St. George catered for the recent event, serving platters of cookies for all to enjoy.

St. George Children’s Museum, St. George, Utah, March 21, 2024 | Photo by Bridger Palmer, St. George News

The St. George Children’s Museum is a local landmark because of its distinct features. 

The museum is structured across two floors with distinct themes. The first floor focuses on thematic areas for younger children, including a dinosaur room, discovery room, sports room, music room, art room, Castle space and a science room. These areas also aim to develop fine motor skills and are designed for interactive learning,

The second floor is geared toward older children, with exhibits centered around adult activities and careers. It features a grocery store, bank, auto garage, airport, theater and farm room. This setup allows for role-playing and mimicking adult responsibilities.

Christensen hopes to get the greater Southern Utah community involved. By holding local events, she said they hope to help spread awareness of the Down syndrome community’s presence in Southern Utah and attract volunteers and support for their initiatives. 

The program welcomes members of the Down syndrome community of all ages. While the state foundation organizes events for adults, the Southern Utah association also plans to introduce similar activities soon.

“If we knew that community, we could start something just for the adults,” Christensen said.

They continue to draw a bigger crowd every year. Last year’s event drew some 80 people; this year, attendance jumped to approximately 110. 

“We definitely increase in numbers every time we do something,” she said. “This one’s the most attended so far.”

In October, a significant fundraiser walk is scheduled, followed by a silent auction.

To help the cause or for more information, visit the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation’s website.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bridger Palmer was born in St. George, Utah, before being raised in the Inland Empire in Southern California. He was inspired to pursue journalism because he was an avid reader of Bill Simmons’ sports and popular culture blog, Grantland. Palmer wrote a screenplay in 2020 and launched his own website, newgrantland.com, shortly thereafter. He worked his way from proofreader to editorial assistant at a weekly newspaper in Redlands, California. He returned to Southern Utah in late 2023.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!