(Oct. 19, 2009) Children with Down syndrome were the center of attention as more than 1,200 people gathered Saturday, Oct. 10, to show support and say “It’s time!” to increase awareness and fundraising for Down syndrome research, medical care and education. 

The 2009 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Jet Set Fashion Show also celebrated the extraordinary humanitarian and musical contributions of music icon Quincy Jones as he received the first Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.  Jones accepted the award at the event, a fundraiser for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation to benefit the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.  In a surprise moment for the audience, Jones bestowed the Quincy Jones Exceptional Self-Advocate Award on DeOndra Dixon, Jamie Foxx’s younger sister, seen with Jones at left, who happens to have Down syndrome. Dixon is a Special Olympic medalist who has won an award for poetry, balances school and a job and is a role model for young people with Down syndrome.

Jones is the international spokesperson for the institute that aims to significantly improve the lives of people with Down syndrome throughout the world. Jones’ decades-long friendship with John J. Sie, founder and CEO of Starz Entertainment, sparked him into action when Sie’s granddaughter, Sophia Kay Whitten, was born with Down syndrome.

Michelle Sie Whitten, executive director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation was appreciative of the support, “The turnout and the fact that we grossed $1.35 million shows that people care about our children with Down syndrome and that they believe that all people should have human and civil rights.  We couldn’t be more grateful to Mr. Jones, DeOndra and everyone who made this possible.”

Down syndrome is the most frequent chromosomal disorder in the United States accounting for 1 in 733 live births.  There are more than 400,000 people in the US and millions worldwide with the condition.  The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome aims to eradicate the ill effects associated with Down syndrome and significantly improve the lives of people with Down syndrome throughout the world.  The Institute is named in memory of Dr. Linda Crnic, in honor of her unwavering dedication to people with Down syndrome through translational research.  Crnic, who died tragically in a bicycle accident in 2004, was a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Director of the Colorado Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Center.

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome is the first national organization to house basic research, clinical research and clinical care for people with Down syndrome under one umbrella.  The Institute is a collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Denver and The Children’s Hospital.

Top photo: Former Broncos defenseman John Lynch escorts two young ladies down the runway.