Maplewood resident to be featured in National Down Syndrome Society video

NEW YORK CITY — Charlotte Gehrke, of Maplewood, will appear in the bright lights of Broadway on Saturday, Sept. 15, as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Times Square video presentation. The featured photographs in the video highlight children, teens and adults with Down syndrome, reminding the world in a very big way about the contributions and milestones of people with Down syndrome. These collective images promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

The photo of Charlotte Gehrke, who happens to have Down syndrome, was selected from more than 2,400 entries in the NDSS worldwide call for photos. Almost 500 photographs will appear in the video, which will be shown in the heart of Times Square.

Charlotte is pictured dancing in her mother’s first ballet costume in the photo.

The Times Square video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The video presentation will be followed by the 24th annual Flagship Buddy Walk in New York City. This year, Buddy Walk events will be held in more than 275 cities across the country, as well as select international locations, in and around October with more than 325,000 people participating around the globe. For information about the NDSS Buddy Walk Program, visit www.buddywalk.org or call 800-221-4602.