Buddy Day set Aug. 12 in Dewey Beach
Buddy Walk organizer Dennis Diehl has declared Sunday, Aug. 12, as Buddy Day in Dewey Beach. Events will be held that morning to raise awareness for individuals with Down syndrome and other cognitive disorders. Attendees can race in the 5K Dewey Buddy Run or eat pancakes, or do both. “It’s going to be a great day in Dewey,” Diehl said. “I love including self-advocates in these events. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
The Dewey Beach Lions Club will hold its annual Famous Buffet Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at the clubhouse at 115 McKinley Ave. in Dewey Beach. The menu, which includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, coffee, and juices, is only $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. The price includes a free bloody mary or beer for adults. No reservations are required. Breakfast tickets can be purchased that morning. Tickets can be paid for in advance at DeweyBuddyRun.com and picked up at the front table the morning of the event. Proceeds from the breakfast benefit the DBLC Foundation. Parking meters and permits are not in effect until 10 a.m.
The 5K Dewey Buddy Run/Walk starts at 7:30 a.m. and finishes right next to the Dewey Beach Lions Clubhouse on McKinley Avenue. Runners can register in advance for $25 at DeweyBuddyRun.com, or for $30 on race day at the registration table in the clubhouse parking lot. The price includes breakfast and two drink tickets for a beer or a bloody mary. A free Kiddies Dash will take off at 7:15 a.m. The race is produced, promoted and professionally timed by Focus Multisports. Runners of all levels are encouraged. People with disabilities will be allowed rule exceptions. The Buddy Run is a fundraising event benefitting Best Buddies DE programs in Sussex County schools.
The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Buddy Walk, set this year for Saturday, Oct. 6, is to create a community where people with developmental disabilities can live, work and play. DBLC has been the major sponsor of the Boardwalk Buddy Walk since 2006. It hosts a Buddy Up Party the night before Rehoboth’s Boardwalk Buddy Walk and regularly provides use of the clubhouse kitchen to Chimes of Millsboro to teach kitchen skills to clients with developmental disabilities. The Down syndrome community feels very welcome at the Dewey Beach Lions Club. For event information, go to www.ds-stride.org/boardwalkbuddywalk.
