Chicagoland Buddy Walk

10/14/2025

Did you see we were on the news! 🎥

Thank you Fox 32 Chicago!!

The Chicagoland Buddy Walk happening at the Bolingbrook golf club.

10/12/2025

Wha a beautiful day for a Buddy Walk!

Still time to get here, we do the walk at 2:30p

10/12/2025

💙💛 WELCOME TO THE CHICAGOLAND BUDDY WALK! 💛💙

Today’s the day! We’re ready for an unforgettable celebration of love, inclusion, and our amazing buddies—and we can’t wait to see YOU there! 🥳

🎉 What to expect:
✅ Tons of family-friendly activities
🍔 Food trucks to keep you fueled
📸 Smiles, laughter, and memories around every corner

📍 Location: Bolingbrook Golf Club
📍 Address: 2001 Rodeo Drive, Bolingbrook, IL
⏰ Start time: 11:30 AM

Haven’t registered yet? There’s still time!
🎟️ Join us or make a donation here → https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

Let’s come together and make today a truly special day for our Buddies 💛

10/11/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨

A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, M&M Custom Flooring, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/11/2025

🎉 THE WAIT IS OVER... THE BUDDY WALK IS TOMORROW! 💙💛

We’re just one day away from coming together to celebrate our incredible loved ones with Down syndrome, reconnect with friends, and make memories that last a lifetime 💫

But this day is about so much more than fun (though we’ve got plenty of that too! 😉):

💙 It’s National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
💛 It’s a day for inclusion, visibility, and love
📣 It’s your chance to show up and stand up—for your buddy, your family, and your community

✅ Walk with purpose
✅ Celebrate with joy
✅ Support a movement that matters
✅ Help us raise funds that go straight back into the Down Syndrome community

Day Schedule can be found here: https://chicagolandbuddywalk.org/schedule
🚨 Not registered yet? You can register onsite
📲 Shirts are first-come first-served while they last

Let’s make tomorrow a day our Buddies will never forget 💛

10/10/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨

A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, the National Down Syndrome Society, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/10/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨
A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, Photomania Chicago, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/10/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨

A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, Matt Schultz, Realtor with O’Neil Property Group, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/10/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨

A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, Jenolistic, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/09/2025

✨SPONSOR SHOUT OUT✨

A big THANK YOU to our generous sponsor, Shaw Floors, for supporting the Chicagoland Buddy Walk! 💙

Thanks to businesses like yours, we’re able to make this celebration bigger, better, and more impactful every year.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? There's still time to donate: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/09/2025

💙💛 A HUGE THANK YOU to Our Amazing Donors! 💛💙

We are beyond grateful to the incredible businesses and individuals who stepped up and donated items to make this year’s Chicagoland Buddy Walk extra special! 🎉

Whether you donated raffle items, services, food, or just sent a little extra love—you made an impact, and we’re so thankful!

🌟 Special thanks to the following business & individuals:

Restaurants/Supermarkets/Bakeries
3 Corners Grill & Tap - $100 Gift Card
Aurelio’s Pizza - 2 Large Pizzas
Berkot’s Super Foods - $50 Gift Card
Cherry Hill Cafe - $25 Gift Card
Chipotle - 2 Entrees, Chips/Queso
Costco - $100 Gift Card
Fleckentstein’s Bakery - $25 Gift Card
Hog Wild - $50 Gift Card
Jewel Food Store - $20 Gift Card
Joey’s Red Hots - 2 $25 Gift Cards
Merichka’s - $40 Gift Card
Mindy’s Ribs - $15 Gift Card
Nothing Bundt Cakes - 3 tier bundt cake, bundtlets for a year
Oberweis - 34 kids cones
Outback Steakhouse - 2 $20 Gift Cards, 1 $10 Gift Card
Ranch Frosties - 2 $25 Gift Cards
Texas Roadhouse - Dinner for 2, 3 appetizers, steak sauce, peanuts
Williamson’s Restaurant & Bar - $50 Gift Card

Events/Activities
B Sieczkowski R Carlson & Sons - 4 Preseason Bulls Tickets & Parking
Bolingbrook Golf Club - Foursome Golf
Broken Arrow Golf Club - Foursome Golf
Chicago White Sox - 4 Lower Level Tickets
Chicagoland’s Free 98.3 - 2 Clint Black Tickets
Lisa Domagala - $155 Gift Card to Space Ceramic Arts Center
George W. Dunne National - Foursome Golf
Green Garden Golf Club - Foursome Golf
Harrah’s Joliet - 1 night stay + $100 Gift Card for Reserve Steakhouse
Joliet Slammers - 4 2026 Tickets
KidsWork Children’s Museum - 1 year family membership
Navy Pier - 4 tickets to ride Ferris Wheel
PRP Wine International - 2 12 person wine tasting
Santa’s Village - 4 admission tickets
The Links at Carillon - Foursome Golf
The Sanctuary - Foursome Golf
Top Golf - $50 Game Play
Village of New Lenox - 2 tickets for 3 concerts in 2026
Volo Museum - 4 entry tickets
We Rock The Spectrum - 4 open play passes
Home Goods/Memorabilia
Sue Anagnos - Pampered Chef
Board and Brush - Decorative Shelf
Candice Gibbons - Pampered Chef
Chicago Bears - Jaquan Brisker Autographed Mini Helmet
Crest Lighting - Picture/Football signed by Patrick Mannelly
Michele Deering - Pampered Chef
Lisa Dietz - Pampered Chef
Nancy Dyr - Pampered Chef
Emmilou Acevedo & Hammer’s This & That - Holiday decor
Sue Eugenides - Pampered Chef
Grace’s Gnomes - 6 Gnomes
Katie Hand - 2 handmade dolls
Maureen Head - 4 bottles of wine
Karla Horn - Pampered Chef
JBD White Horse Inn - Kentucky Fire Bourbon, Koozie Bucket
Joey’s Red Hots - Travel Cup, Coffee Cup, Relish, Mustard Peppers, Celery Salt
Michelle Mager - Bears
Morningstar Mission Treasure Chest - basket
Victoria Naples - Pampered Chef
Outback Steakhouse - bottle of wine, wine glasses, bottle opener, pens/notepad, frisbee
Judy Niemann - Pampered Chef
Marie Reed - Pampered Chef
Lynore Taylor - Pampered Chef
The Evtuch Family - Cosori Smart Air Fryer
The Gina’s - Assortment of High Quality Spirits
The Miracle League - Phone Holders, Fans, Letter Openers, Umbrella, Calendar
Titos Vodka - Cups, Bottle of Titos, Bottle Stopper
Doug Varney - Pampered Chef
We Rock The Spectrum - 2 Squishmellows, fidgets, glow pals We Rock cups
Apparel
Lisa Domagala - In Memory of Lily Domagala - 2 T-Shirts
JBD White Horse Inn - T-Shirt, Hat
Joey’s Red Hots - T-Shirt
LWSRA - bag, sweatshirt, wind breaker, hat, visor, water bottle, sunglasses, fidget
Outback Steakhouse - T-Shirt, Hat
Ranch Frosties - Sweatshirt
Sherwin Williams - T-Shirt
The Miracle League - T-Shirts
Titos Vodka - Hat, Shirt
We Rock The Spectrum - Kids/Adults Sock

Health & Beauty
GinaMarie Skin Center - Face & Body Lotion/Herbal Oil
Kelly’s Crew - Multiple health & beauty items
Team Chloe Whoahee - Massage Gun, Foot Massager
True MedSpa - Facial, Case, Cloth
Ulta Beauty - Various Products
YogaFace & Body Spa - $95 Gift Card
LA Nails - $100 Gift Certificate

Cash/Gift Cards/Other Donations
Kurt Carroll - Cash
Crest Lighting - $100 Gift Card
Golf Galaxy - $50 Gift Card
Ann Greybill - Cash
JBD White Horse - $20 Gift Card
MCS Electric - Cash
Morningstar Mission Treasure Chest - Gift Card
Nancy’s Gaming Video Cafe - Cash
Pizza Mia - Cash
Jeri Savaria - $25 Gift Card to Chewy, various toys
John & Michele Sears - Games, Popcorn, Golf Balls
Sherwin Williams - Bucket, paint/pen, tape, brushes, roller
Southwest Pest Control - Cash
Sue’s Beautiful Inside & Out - $50 Gift Card, Travel Items, Travel Bag
Leslie Tario - $100 Target Gift Card
The Forge Lemont Quarries - $100 Gift Card
VFW Post 9545 - Cash
Ann Wennlund - Cash
Whitmore Ace Hardware - $50 Gift Card
Joseph Wilds - Cash
Zembar Jewelers - $100 Gift Card
Camp Bow Wow - Daycare/Bath/Play Package

💥 Let’s show them some love in the comments below 💬

Make sure you stop by the Raffle Basket table on Sunday to enter to win these amazing items!

There's still to register:
https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

10/09/2025

🥳 3 DAYS TO GO!

The Chicagoland Buddy Walk is almost HERE...

and trust us—you don’t want to miss it! 💙💛

🎟️ Basket Raffle Alert
We’ve got tons of AMAZING prizes up for grabs—think sports tickets 🏈, memorabilia, and gift baskets you’ll actually want to win! Stop by the raffle tent early and get your tickets in!

🎭 Character Appearances
Who will you spot walking around the grounds? 👀 You’ll have to be there to find out!

💰 Walker Incentives = Buddy Bucks!
Earn Buddy Bucks to spend in our online store by raising funds:
💵 $200 = $5
💵 $500 = $10
💵 $1000 = $15
💵 $1500 = $20
💵 $2000+ = $25
(emailed to you after the walk – not cumulative)

🛍️ Vendor Tent Spotlight
Meet and support incredible small businesses—many proudly owned by members of the Down syndrome community 🥰

📅 Walk Day: Sunday, October 12th
📍 Bolingbrook Golf Course
⏰ Grounds open at 11:30 AM
📲 Still need to register? There's just enough time—but not much!
👉 Register now: https://charity.pledgeit.org/ChiBuddyWalk2025

Let’s show up, celebrate our Buddies, and make this the most joyful walk yet! 💥