Bubbles floated through the air and children danced to music as families gathered in front of the state house on Sunday morning for this year’s annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness.

The event included face painting, cotton candy, a food truck and a DJ. Many in the crowd of more than 400 wore yellow Buddy Walk shirts, while some groups sported customized team gear. Seven-year-old Rosy Haarlander’s team, Rosy’s Buds, showed up in pink jerseys with T 21 on the back to signify the extra chromosome that leads to Down syndrome.

“For us, this is like a holiday,” Rosy’s mother, Lindsay Haarlander, said. “It’s the feeling that you’re not alone in this journey of a path that’s a little less traveled. Before our daughter was born, we didn’t know anyone with Down syndrome, so there’s a lot of learning that has come along the way. These people are just filled with so much pure love and joy and excitement about this life. To be able to look around and see so many people in one space is really special.”

She and her husband, Jesse, joined the board of the New Hampshire Down Syndrome Association because they sought to help other families in the way the association helped their’s after Rosy’s birth. The couple, who came from Londonderry for the event, wants people to embrace those who might be different from them, rather than viewing difference as something negative.

“There are so many other things out there that are celebrated. There are less individuals out there with Down syndrome, so there’s not that many people that know about it,” Jesse said. “Just know that they’re capable of everything that anyone else is able to do, just at a different pace.”

The walk raised more than $50,000, which will go toward uplifting families with hospitalized children, sending information to new parents, supporting children with different learning needs, hosting events such as World Down Syndrome Day and more.

Kylie Cervantes, whose three-year-old daughter, Raeleigh, has Down syndrome, said she and her family have so much fun participating in the walk each year. This year, 18 of them gathered to form the team Rae of Sunshine.

“It means everything, Cervantes said. “It’s one of the most special days to be able to support our Raeleigh. She loves it. She’s all about the dancing.”

The walk featured guest speaker Madison Tevlin, a 22 year-old actress, model, content creator, and advocate for Down syndrome awareness. Her recent campaign, “Assume That I Can” challenges people to rethink their assumptions about people with Down syndrome.

“For far too long people with Down syndrome and other disabilities have been overlooked, underestimated, and left out of the conversation. But we are changing that here together. When we advocate, when we speak up, we’re showing the world that we deserve to be seen, heard and valued,” Tevlin told the crowd.

When she was born, doctors told Tevlin’s parents that she may never walk, talk, or hold a job. Having defied all those expectations, she still hates how it feels when people talk down to her because of the way she looks.

“I know people don’t understand what I am capable of,” she said. “I may have Down syndrome, but I always say it’s the least interesting thing about me.”

Tevlin wants people to push back against the limitations society imposes on them.

“Without trying to believe in ourselves, we’ll never know what we’re capable of,” she added.

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com.