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"Scrubs" Actor Raises Awareness of Down Syndrome
LAist has the pleasure from time to time to hear about the good the entertainment industry can do and certain individuals who are invested in a cause and pounding the pavement to raise awareness. Though he might play a snarky doctor on Scrubs, John C. McGinley(aka Dr. Perry Cox) took the day off from the set of the hit TV show last week to host a special Storytime at Barnes & Noble at The Grove. McGinley has personal experience with Down syndrome -- his 9-year-old son Max is inflicted. Through the National Down Syndrome, he is able to raise awareness to the Buddy Walk, an initiative he joined officially as their spokesperson in 2002.
Highlights from the 2005 walk:
* NDSS celebrates 10 years of the Buddy Walk!
* More than 260 Walks were held in 2005 across the country and abroad.
* Approximately 5.5 Million dollars were raised nation-wide through the NDSS Buddy Walk. These funds were distributed among sponsoring Buddy Walk Organizations and the National Down Syndrome Society.
* More than 225,000 individuals participated in a Buddy Walk in 2005. Since the Buddy Walk was created in 1995, over 1,500,000 people have participated in a Buddy Walk worldwide.
There are numerous ways to get involved including hereand here.
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