On Sunday, members of the public turned out for the first Butterfly Blessings Down Syndrome Walk at South Point High School.

The group was organized by two local mothers, Tina Erwin and Tara Tomblin, both of whom have children with Down Syndrome.

The goal of the event was to raise funds for the group, as well as to push for better understanding and awareness of the issue.

The two said there is a general misunderstanding of Down Syndrome among the public and they wanted to stress that it is not a disease and that those who have it are not “suffering from it.”

Caused by being born with an extra chromosome, those with Down Syndrome are completely capable of working and learning and a better grasp of the subject by the public can help to accommodate them.

In addition, the group hopes to create a better support community in the region, so that families of those with Down Syndrome can better find access to resources to help them.

The effort was made possible with the support of many local individuals and businesses, and it was good to see the community come together.

We congratulate Erwin and Tomblin on their efforts and commend all those who turned out or helped sponsor Sunday’s event, which we hope will lead to a larger campaign on the subject.