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 within their local Down syndrome support organization.

Today, with the help of D.A.D.S. National, over 50 Down syndrome support organizations in the US and beyond have engaged and harnessed the horsepower of fathers through Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome. To find out how to bring D.A.D.S. to your organization, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..