There are days that remind you why community matters. Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 — the 24th annual CHOP Buddy Walk® & Family Fun Day at Lincoln Financial Field — was one of those days for the YMCA Adventure Guides. We came as Team Mac & Cheese, we cheered and played, and we left with fuller hearts and a deeper understanding of what it means to give back.

Registration began at 9:30 a.m. and by 10:30 the program had everyone smiling. At 11:30 a.m. we joined the ceremonial lap — kids, parents, siblings, and friends walking together — and the whole arena hummed with joy and purpose until the event wrapped at 1 p.m. Our team parked in Lot K at the North Entrance and spilled onto the grounds to enjoy moon bounces, carnival games, face painting, character appearances, music, and delicious food and beverages.

Between sweepstakes and the silent auction there were moments of quiet meaning too: a short program with fundraising reveals and CHOP T21 Program updates that reminded us exactly how our time and donations translate into better lives and medical care.

What we celebrate most: Team Mac & Cheese raised over $10,000 this year, and across the past three years our team has contributed more than $40,000 to support CHOP’s Trisomy 21 (T21) Program. Those dollars matter — 100% of proceeds support CHOP’s T21 Program, directly improving the lives and health of individuals with Down syndrome.

Why this matters to Adventure Guides

Service, empathy, learning, father-child connection, and community leadership are core to who we are. Showing up at the Buddy Walk is a living lesson in those values. For our young Adventure Guides the event was more than a day of fun — it was an education in kindness and inclusion.

What the children learned

  • Inclusion: walking alongside individuals with Down syndrome showed our kids that difference is part of everyday life — and it’s something to celebrate.
  • Kindness: small acts — cheering, high-fives, helping a friend at a game — added up to big, visible warmth.
  • Giving back: seeing where donations go during the program helped children connect action to impact.
  • Teamwork: organizing as Team Mac & Cheese, wearing team shirts, and moving together across the grounds taught cooperation and pride.

Impact of the funds

The CHOP T21 Program benefits from every dollar raised. Equipment, research, therapy support, program development — these are tangible outcomes of our efforts. When parents or guides ask, “What does our fundraising do?” we can now point to concrete programs, services, and improved health outcomes supported by the T21 team.

Why I Walk

The CHOP Buddy Walk® is the sole fundraiser for CHOP’s Trisomy 21 (T21) Program — a program that cares for more than 1,200 children and 300 adults each year. The T21 Program would not exist as it does today without the tremendous, ongoing support of the Buddy Walk. About one in every 800 children is born with Down syndrome; these individuals face higher risks for heart conditions, orthopedic, neurological, gastrointestinal, endocrine, feeding, and developmental challenges. The Buddy Walk funds research, therapies, equipment, and services that translate into better health and brighter futures for people with trisomy 21.

This is personal for many of us. For me, my three-year-old son has Down syndrome — walking with him and with other families is both a way to raise crucial funds and to show him, in the clearest terms we can, that he is loved, supported, and celebrated by our community. That is why we walk.

Building compassionate future leaders

We believe showing up matters. Attending together — not just donating online — teaches children to be present, to listen, and to lead with empathy. The Adventure Guides who walk, volunteer, and fundraise are practicing the civic muscle that builds compassionate future leaders. The Buddy Walk is a classroom with balloons.

How to help

If you’d like to support Team Mac & Cheese beyond what we raised at the event, donations can still be made at our team page: Donate to Team Mac & Cheese. More event details are available here: CHOP Buddy Walk event page.

Thank you

To every family who walked with us, to the volunteers and CHOP staff, and to the generous donors — thank you. The Adventure Guides will be back next year. We’ll bring our kids, our curiosity, and our commitment to service. We’ll keep teaching the next generation that kindness is active, that inclusion is joyful, and that together we can make a measurable difference.

— YMCA Adventure Guides, Team Mac & Cheese