Co-Chairs Natalie Farr Harrison & Guy Harrison Promise a Magical Evening Including Local Dancers with Down Syndrome
Phillip Phillips
Denver, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DENVER– February 6, 2025 – Today, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) announced Multiplatinum artist and actor Phillip Phillips and GLOBAL Ambassador and actor Tucker Emry will headline their annual AcceptAbility Gala at the Marriot Marquis Washington, DC on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Tickets, Tables and Sponsorships are now available here.
Since releasing his five-times-platinum debut single “Home,” Phillip Phillips has released three chart-topping albums and taken his expansive brand of earthy, guitar-fueled rock to stages across the globe. In 2020, Phillips joined GLOBAL’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show and performed a heartfelt tribute in honor of DeOndra Dixon with a beautiful rendition of “Gone, Gone, Gone.” Tucker Emry is a role model in the Down syndrome community attending The Harbour School in Maryland and participating in his Young Life youth group and Performing Arts Academy where he is honing his acting skills. He has appeared as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the White Rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland,” among other roles.
Natalie Farr Harrison and her husband Guy Harrison are long-time AcceptAbility Gala Board Members and are thrilled to Co-Chair this event. “We have so many friends who have children with Down syndrome so GLOBAL’s life-changing research and medical care advocacy is near and dear to our hearts,” says Natalie. “Guy and I have been in DC for over 20 years, and I can honestly say the AcceptAbility Gala is the most inspirational and magical fundraiser we’ve ever attended. We can’t wait for more people to know about it!” Natalie is a Senior Vice President of Government Relations at Avoq. Guy is a Partner at OnMessage Inc.
“I am so grateful to be able to show Members of Congress and our friends at NIH how great my team and I are at dancing!” says Robert Wallop, soloist and member of the RhythmXpress dance team. Robert is the three-time USA Dance National Champion for Pro/Am rhythm and smooth at the bronze level. In 2017, he was featured on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance.
GLOBAL’s annual AcceptAbility Gala brings together policymakers from both sides of the aisle, key scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Down syndrome community. Each year, the gala recognizes two Members of Congress with their highest honor, the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award. Past recipients include Representatives Tom Cole, Rosa DeLauro, Pete Sessions, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Katherine Clark, Pete Stauber, Lois Frankel, and Richard Hudson; and Senators John Hickenlooper, Jerry Moran, Steve Daines, and Tom Harkin.
The AcceptAbility Gala Board consists of business and government advocacy leaders as well as leaders in the Down syndrome community. In addition to Natalie and Guy the board includes Jan Adams, Founder & CEO JMA Solutions; John Ashbrook, Founding Partner, Cavalry LLC; Amy Best Weiss, Executive VP, Global Government Affairs, American Express; Kevin Brennan, Principal, Bluebird Strategies; Emilie Eager, Director of Business Development, Julie Parker Communications; David Egan, Quincy Jones Awardee, self-advocate and author, from Vienna, VA; Felicia Emry, Esq., Life Skills Program Coordinator and Client Care Liaison, Heaven on Earth NOW; Erin Book Mullen, Principal, Williams & Jensen, PLLC; Matthew Perin, Head of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Kroger; Cliff Riccio, Senior Vice President & Chief, Government Relations, NCTA; Julie Riccio, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy, PwC; Frank Stephens, GLOBAL board member, GLOBAL Ambassador, self-advocate and actor, from Fairfax, VA; Richard Waysdorf, Legal Consultant, Global Down Syndrome Foundation; and Michelle Sie Whitten, President & CEO, Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
The AcceptAbility Gala supports the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, funding life-changing government advocacy, research, and lifesaving medical care for children and adults with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most frequent chromosomal condition, affecting an estimated 400,000 Americans, but it has been one of the least-funded genetic condition by NIH.
With GLOBAL’s leadership bringing together multiple stakeholders, the NIH Down syndrome research and medical care budget has increased by $440 million over the last seven years. The AcceptAbility Gala is an opportunity to celebrate major new federal research funding increases after years of being one of the least funded genetic conditions and to educate Congress and the community about the transformative DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act that ensures we continue to elongate life and improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome.
The AcceptAbility Gala starts at 6:00 p.m. with a reception and red carpet followed by dinner, a live auction, and performances by local dancers with Down syndrome and Multiplatinum artist and actor Phillip Phillips. Tickets start at $700 and can be purchased online at www.globaldownsyndrome.org. To cover the event or receive photos or b-roll, contact Shawn Flaherty at 703-554-3609. For more information, visit www.globaldownsyndrome.org.
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About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) is the largest non-profit in the U.S. working to save lives and dramatically improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome. GLOBAL established the first Down syndrome research institute and supports over 400 scientists and over 2,700 patients with Down syndrome from 33 states and 10 countries. Working closely with Congress and the National Institutes of Health, GLOBAL is the lead advocacy organization in the U.S. for Down syndrome research and care. GLOBAL has a membership of over 110 Down syndrome organizations worldwide, and is part of a network of Affiliates – the Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Sie Center for Down Syndrome, the University of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center – all on the Anschutz Medical Campus, and the GLOBAL Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at Denver Health.
GLOBAL’s widely circulated medical publications include Global Medical Care Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome, Prenatal & Newborn Down Syndrome Information, and the award-winning magazine
Down Syndrome World TM. GLOBAL also organizes the annual AcceptAbility Gala in Washington DC, and
the annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, the largest Down syndrome fundraiser in the world. Visit globaldownsyndrome.org and follow us on social media Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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CONTACT: Anca Call Global Down Syndrome Foundation (720) 320-3832 anca.consultant@globaldownsyndrome.org
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