PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday 26th October 2016

Governor-General to Present Awards

The Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Patsy Reddy, will be hosting the annual Frances Clarke Memorial Awards, celebrating the acheivements of young people with Down Syndrome, at Government House, Wellington at 10am on Wednesday 26th October.

This will be the 26th year these awards have been presented by the Wellington Down Syndrome Association, in memory of a special little girl Frances Clarke who was born in 1985 with Down Syndrome and died four years later from leukaemia.

Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner and former New Zealand squash player will be guest speaker.

These awards recognise and encourage special achievements of people born with Down syndrome in the greater Wellington district. Special achievements need not be spectacular nor world first but they will have taken determination, application and perseverance. They demonstrate the ability of someone with Down syndrome to overcome their difficulties by completing a task or by showing through their way of life and attitudes towards others that they lead full and rewarding lives.

“The Frances Clarke Memorial awards are an opportunity to raise public awareness of people with Down syndrome within our community and to showcase their achievements. This is the 26th year these awards have been presented and we’re very honoured to once again to have the ceremony hosted by the Governor General of New Zealand at Government House and to have Dame Susan Devoy as our guest speaker” said Wellington Down Syndrome Association Co-ordinator Noreen MacMahon.

(ENDS)

Wellington Down Syndrome Association is a non profit organisation made up mainly of families who share the common bond of a family member with Down syndrome. Its aim is to provide support and information to members and to increase both public awareness and understanding of Down syndrome.

© Scoop Media