Leggee Elementary School student to be featured in Times Square
UNION — Cody Binger, a first grader at Huntley Community School District 158’s Leggee Elementary School (13723 Harmony Road, Huntley), will be appearing in the bright lights of Broadway in New York on Saturday, Sept. 17, as part of the annual National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) Times Square Video presentation.
The one-hour video that will feature Cody will additionally include roughly 500 photographs of children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states.
The NDSS states that these collective images will assist in promoting the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome in a very visible way.
Cody, who resides in Union with his parents Nancy and Chad Binger and twin siblings, had his photo selected from more than 2,400 entries submitted in the NDSS worldwide call for photos, said the organization.
His photo will be shown on two adjacent ClearChannel Jumbotron screens in the heart of Times Square. The two screens are located above Dos Caminos restaurant (1567 Broadway, New York) in Father Duffy Square.
Supporters of Cody don’t have to travel to New York to see his big, contagious smile, however, as the presentation will be live streamed on the NDSS Facebook page on Sept. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
Cody’s mother, Nancy, who also plays an important role in the Huntley community by serving as the executive director for the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce, started a blog and Facebook page called Growing with Cody to help tell the other side of the story regarding Down syndrome.
The blog and Facebook page were created a few weeks before Cody was born and both online platforms chronicle the lives of Cody and his family as they work to educate the public more about Down syndrome.
Cody currently has over 1,000 online followers, all eager to learn more about his journey through life while navigating having Down syndrome.
In an essay Nancy submitted to The Mighty, she states that she strongly advocates for Cody because she wants him to have the same opportunities as everyone else despite having Down syndrome.
“I don’t want him to make the team if he is not good enough, but I want him to have the chance to try out. I don’t want him to be Homecoming King because it feels good, but I want him to have the chance to be on the ballot. I don’t want you to force your kid to be his friend, but I want them to have the chance to meet,” Nancy wrote in her essay. “My son has limitations, but he has strengths too, and we can only find out what those are if he is given the opportunity to discover them.”
The Times Square Video presentation will be followed by the New York City Buddy Walk in Central Park. The flagship Buddy Walk has taken place in New York since 1995 as part of the National Buddy Walk Program.
Buddy Walk events are held in hundreds of cities across the country, as well as in select international locations. For more information about the New York City Buddy Walk that will take place on Sept. 17 or the National Buddy Walk Program, individuals can visit ndss.org.
NDSS is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome which envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities.
