Lusby, MD – Seven years after their daughter Karsyn was born with Down syndrome, Erin and Justin Sloan have continued their mission to improve the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome in Southern Maryland.
The seventh annual Karsyn’s Karnival was hosted on Saturday, May 28 at Cove Point Park by KS2 4DS Inc., the organization that Erin and Justin Sloan started.
The event hosts members of the community for a day of food, games and pony-rides. The goal is to display the talents of those born with Down syndrome and encourage social connections between individuals with Down syndrome and other members of the community.
“When our daughter Karsyn was born, we really felt like we needed a connection to people in the community that had an individual with Down syndrome in their family,” said Erin Sloan. “That was our primary goal, at first.”
The goal of the organization has grown to not only create social connections, but to demonstrate to the community the unlimited potential that individuals with Down syndrome have.
“We wanted other people in the community to understand and accept Karsyn,” said Erin Sloan. “That is our biggest goal at this point.”
The event started as Karsyn’s first birthday party back in 2010 and has now developed into an event with almost 150 student volunteers.
“It amazes me,” said Erin Sloan. “They give up a Saturday to stand out in the hot sun. They are great with the kids. They come early and they stay late to help us take it all down. They are amazing.”
The event also has the support of countless vendors and organizations from the community.
“All of these different organizations are so nice and so supportive,” said Erin Sloan. “It’s been amazing.”
Each year, KS2 4DS Inc. shows the community that each individual with Down syndrome has their own talents, abilities and potential. Through moon bounces, mini golf and balloon animals, the organization continues to raise awareness for Down syndrome.
Karsyn’s Karnival, through the help of colorful tie-dye t-shirts, encourages individuals with Down syndrome to live by Dr. Seuss’s mantra: “Why fit in when you born to stand out?”
