Oct. 9, 2008

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The motto for the Savannah College of Art and Design athletics program in 2008-09 is making it count through servant leadership.

The Bees took a step in that direction as 12 athletics teams - men's and women's basketball, tennis, swimming, and golf as well as softball, men's soccer, baseball and equestrian - and athletics administration assisted with the 2008 Buddy Walk held Oct. 4 in Forsyth Park.

The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to bring together a wide range of concerned individuals to reach out to friends, family, and co-workers to promote awareness and inclusion for people with Down Syndrome and to raise funds for local and national education, research, and advocacy programs. This was the third annual Buddy Walk Festival for the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society.

"The Buddy Walk was a great experience, personally for myself and our student-athletes," said athletics director Quin Monahan. "The support we received from the community was overwhelming. More importantly our student-athletes had a chance to give back to our community and practice what we preach - making it count through servant leadership."

Members of the teams assisted with event setup, staffing the registration table and park cleanup. SCAD student-athletes also lined the one-mile perimeter of the park where they assisted and encouraged the nearly 2,000 walkers that took part in the event.