About Us

History

In the spring of 2002, eight men met (some for the first time) in a restaurant in Indianapolis, IN. Brought together by the notion of our founder, Joe Meares, that as the father of a child with Down syndrome, we could do more than just set up tables and cook hotdogs at our local Buddy Walks. What we experienced at that first meeting was an excitement and energy that carries through to this day; the idea that we as fathers could make a significant contribution to improve the lives of our children – and all individuals with Down syndrome – by working together. Those original eight men remain good friends, and have been joined by many new friends from all over the US and beyond; including Canada, Australia and the UK.

The original chapter in Indianapolis acts as the “de facto” National chapter, but all of the other chapters around the country operate autonomously. We help when and where we can, but each chapter runs itself as an independent organization. See if there is a chapter in your area, and if not, how you can start one.