Happy Tuesday y’all!
We hope that your weekend was relaxing and filled with time spent with your favorite people! Today, we wanted to bring your attention to an amazing cause and event that is coming up later this month. Run Up for Downs is a race and fun walk on March 30th in Madison that benefits an organization called The Lily Pad. We got to speak with Brent Lape, who started the organization with his wife Kristin, about the 7th annual Run Up for Downs event and the mission of The Lily Pad. Keep reading for more on this incredible story!
We hope that your weekend was relaxing and filled with time spent with your favorite people! Today, we wanted to bring your attention to an amazing cause and event that is coming up later this month. Run Up for Downs is a race and fun walk on March 30th in Madison that benefits an organization called The Lily Pad. We got to speak with Brent Lape, who started the organization with his wife Kristin, about the 7th annual Run Up for Downs event and the mission of The Lily Pad. Keep reading for more on this incredible story!
{What is The Lily Pad?}
The Lily Pad will be a cafe here in central Mississippi that will employ and train individuals with disabilities and give them the skills and confidence necessary to obtain employment throughout the community. The mission of The Lily Pad is to hire and train individuals that are differently abled. Additionally, as an organization we want to help not only give those individuals the skills and confidence to obtain employment throughout the community but also help the community and other business owners see the value and abilities these individuals can offer.
The Lily Pad will be a cafe here in central Mississippi that will employ and train individuals with disabilities and give them the skills and confidence necessary to obtain employment throughout the community. The mission of The Lily Pad is to hire and train individuals that are differently abled. Additionally, as an organization we want to help not only give those individuals the skills and confidence to obtain employment throughout the community but also help the community and other business owners see the value and abilities these individuals can offer.
{Can you tell us about the upcoming Run Up for Downs event?}
On March 30th, we will celebrate the 7th Annual Run Up for Downs. We started up the Run Up for Downs in 2013 shortly after Lily was born. Lily is a spunky little 6 year old that rocks her extra 21st chromosome (more commonly known to most as Down syndrome). My wife, Kristin, and I realized after getting her diagnosis post-birth that there was an extreme lack of understanding and knowledge about Down syndrome and disabilities in our community.
We started the Run Up for Downs to celebrate those that rock a little something extra and to help spread awareness. The first few years, all proceeds went to benefit organizations that benefited families that had children with Down syndrome. A few years ago, we began talking with parents that had older children with Down syndrome and noticed a common trend; after high school, there was nothing. All of the skills they had learned over the years began to regress. So we teamed up with another family that also had a child with Down syndrome and researched what opportunities are available throughout the nation and noticed some cafes and coffee shops starting to pop up that employed people with disabilities. We threw around ideas and names and came up with the idea of The Lily Pad Cafe. A cafe that will be like a lily pad for a frog...a stepping stone to its next opportunity. 100% of proceeds from The Run Up for Downs event now go towards making The Lily Pad a reality. In just two years, we have raised just over $72,000 in our goal to $250,000. Our goal for this year's race is to hit $50,000, which would bring us just over $120,000. After this year's race, we will solidify a location and then begin a capital campaign to see if we can raise the remainder of the funds needed and go ahead and make The Lily Pad a reality.
On March 30th, we will celebrate the 7th Annual Run Up for Downs. We started up the Run Up for Downs in 2013 shortly after Lily was born. Lily is a spunky little 6 year old that rocks her extra 21st chromosome (more commonly known to most as Down syndrome). My wife, Kristin, and I realized after getting her diagnosis post-birth that there was an extreme lack of understanding and knowledge about Down syndrome and disabilities in our community.
We started the Run Up for Downs to celebrate those that rock a little something extra and to help spread awareness. The first few years, all proceeds went to benefit organizations that benefited families that had children with Down syndrome. A few years ago, we began talking with parents that had older children with Down syndrome and noticed a common trend; after high school, there was nothing. All of the skills they had learned over the years began to regress. So we teamed up with another family that also had a child with Down syndrome and researched what opportunities are available throughout the nation and noticed some cafes and coffee shops starting to pop up that employed people with disabilities. We threw around ideas and names and came up with the idea of The Lily Pad Cafe. A cafe that will be like a lily pad for a frog...a stepping stone to its next opportunity. 100% of proceeds from The Run Up for Downs event now go towards making The Lily Pad a reality. In just two years, we have raised just over $72,000 in our goal to $250,000. Our goal for this year's race is to hit $50,000, which would bring us just over $120,000. After this year's race, we will solidify a location and then begin a capital campaign to see if we can raise the remainder of the funds needed and go ahead and make The Lily Pad a reality.
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Our goal for The Lily Pad isn't permanent employment, we want it to a be a stepping stone for them finding a job within the community. The more our kids are involved in the community, the more people will start to see their true value. So many see our kids and have an instant preconception of their abilities and what they can or can't do based on stereotypes. We want to raise that bar at The Lily Pad. We want a restaurant owner to go from seeing one of our kids and thinking that all they can do is roll silverware to seeing that they can be a benefit in many roles throughout the restaurant.
{A few details on Run Up for Downs}
The event kicks off at the Madison Healthplex at 5:30 pm with a fun run and is followed by a 5K run/walk at 6pm. Then the 0.0 race will kick off the opening of our food row which features delicious food from over 17 local restaurants and beverages provided by Brown Bottling. There will be a silent auction, jump zones for the kids and live music! We hope to see y’all there!
{How else can people get involved with the organization?}
Right now, our biggest need is fundraising! If you want to donate to The Lily Pad please follow this link. We are also trying to find someone that owns real estate that might be willing to work with us on the cost of a space as that would help expedite the opening of the Lily Pad Cafe.
People can still register for the Run UP for Downs at runupfordowns.com and can find out more info about The Lily Pad and donate at www.thelilypadms.com
The event kicks off at the Madison Healthplex at 5:30 pm with a fun run and is followed by a 5K run/walk at 6pm. Then the 0.0 race will kick off the opening of our food row which features delicious food from over 17 local restaurants and beverages provided by Brown Bottling. There will be a silent auction, jump zones for the kids and live music! We hope to see y’all there!
{How else can people get involved with the organization?}
Right now, our biggest need is fundraising! If you want to donate to The Lily Pad please follow this link. We are also trying to find someone that owns real estate that might be willing to work with us on the cost of a space as that would help expedite the opening of the Lily Pad Cafe.
People can still register for the Run UP for Downs at runupfordowns.com and can find out more info about The Lily Pad and donate at www.thelilypadms.com
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