CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) The Clarksville Association for Down Syndrome (CADS) is hard at work preparing for its 7th Annual Community CARES Walk & Expo.

The Community CARES Walk & Expo will take place October 13 from 8:30 a.m. – noon at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center. CADS is partnering with the City of Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department again this year for this free community event. There’s a fun walk around the pond at Liberty Park, an expo featuring over 65 vendors from around the community, arts and crafts activities, a silent auction, free lunch and much more.

The theme for the 2018 Community CARES Walk & Expo is a patriotic, military theme, with the slogan We Support, We Salute, We are Strong.

“We are really hoping to reach out to and connect with our military families here in the Clarksville/Ft. Campbell area with this year’s theme,” said CADS board member Holly McDonald. “We are looking forward to being joined by Brigadier General Todd Royar, Deputy Commanding General, Support of Ft. Campbell as our special guest.”

Each year, walkers, teams and vendors are encouraged to get into the theme and dress up.

“We really have a lot of fun with our themes. The teams and vendors really do a great job of dressing up and getting into character and it makes each year’s event memorable. This year we are looking forward to seeing our military community show its patriotism,” McDonald said.

This event brings friends and family members together to support citizens with special needs in our community. Many are already creating teams, and sharing fundraising pages for this year’s event at www.firstgiving.com. You can also visit the CADS website at cadstn.org, click CARES Walk and scroll down to Walker & Team Registration. Anyone can create a walk team. In addition, each walker receives a free event t-shirt (while supplies last).

All funds raised at this event go directly back into Clarksville/Montgomery County and surrounding counties. With these funds, CADS’s long-term goal is to build a CADS Clubhouse where a child with special needs can feel like a typical child among their peers. CADS has already begun offering free programs on Saturday mornings for citizens with special needs.

These programs are held at the Crow Center in Clarksville. They range from music and art to gardening, cooking, and much more. To register for upcoming programs, the calendar of events for the remainder of the year can be found on the CADS or City of Clarksville Parks & Recreation website.

The mission of the Clarksville Association for Down Syndrome is to educate and create a support network for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community.