NYCM Stories: Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day with Pathfinder Village

Team
NYCM Raises Money, Donates Fun Socks to Pathfinder Village

For the third straight year NYCM Insurance
hosted its Rock Your Socks (#RockYourSocks) campaign, giving employees the
chance to directly support our neighbors at Pathfinder Village ahead of World
Down Syndrome Day.

March 21st – the 21st day of the third month
of the year – has been officially observed as World Down Syndrome Day
by the United Nations since 2012 as an homage to the triplication of the 21st
chromosome, which signifies Down syndrome. Every year on March 21st, World Down
Syndrome Day is celebrated around the globe to bring awareness and advocate for a more
inclusive society for individuals with Down syndrome.

Pathfinder
Village in Edmeston, New York is a place where individuals with Down
syndrome and other developmental disabilities are able to make lasting
friendships, learn about community, and gain independence. It’s also
“…a community where people who have Down syndrome and other developmental
disabilities discover their own value and talents, and share these gifts with
others.”

For more than 100 years, Team NYCM has maintained a strong friendship with our
Edmeston neighbors at Pathfinder—even dating back to 1922 when the community
was called the Otsego School. To learn more about the 2023 Rock Your Socks
campaign at NYCM Insurance and our partnership with Pathfinder Village,
continue reading below.

Sporting
Socks with Significance

 
When it comes to observing World Down Syndrome
Day, Down
Syndrome International’s global Lots
of Socks campaign (#LotsofSocks) aims to bring awareness to Down
syndrome by adding a little extra pizzazz to your wardrobe. Every year on March
21, people around the globe are invited to wear their favorite pair of fun
socks in an effort to get people talking about the rights, inclusion, and
well-being of people with Down syndrome.

“World Down Syndrome Day is an annual reminder of the importance of keeping
inclusion at the forefront,” said NYCM Insurance Chief Financial Officer, Chief
Risk Officer, and Treasurer Michael Perrino, who also serves on the Pathfinder
Village Board of Directors. “Every year we look forward to connecting with the
amazing individuals at Pathfinder and partnering to support their mission.”

In March 2023, NYCM employees were able to purchase fun
company socks ahead of World Down Syndrome Day, with all proceeds benefiting
our friends at Pathfinder Village. In total, members of Team NYCM purchased 381
pairs of fun socks and raised a total of $1,000.84! In addition, 361 pairs of
fun NYCM Insurance socks were donated to residents at Pathfinder.

“It’s been really fun and rewarding to support our friends at Pathfinder
Village through Rock Your Socks the last few years,” said NYCM Insurance Public
Relations Supervisor Stephanie Bader. “The whole team has really embraced the
fun socks as a way to continue the conversation on inclusion while raising
money to support some pretty incredible people.”

In three years of internal Rock Your Socks
fundraisers, Team NYCM has raised $3,661.90 for Pathfinder Village and has also
donated more than 600 pairs of fun socks to its residents.

Making
a Difference

 
Pathfinder Village President and CEO Paul Landers
said, “For a century, Pathfinder Village and NYCM have been neighbors and partners. From the Otsego School
to Pathfinder Village, NYCM employees have been part of our story and progress.
Together, we shape the Edmeston community as a welcoming and
supportive community. We are true partners and better for it.”

Landers said that the fun socks are something that Pathfinder Village staff and
residents have come to look forward to every year on World Down Syndrome Day,
and that they have come to serve as a tangible and fun reminder of how
important our Down syndrome friends are and the value and meaning they bring to
our collective community. Every dollar raised through Rock Your Socks at NYCM
has benefited Pathfinder across a variety of vocational and employment training
programs.

“These programs are critical to the future success of our residents and it is a
vital community connector,” said Landers. “Over the next few years Pathfinder
will be developing a new vocational and retail center on our west campus that
will house our Produce Market and Produce Mobile Market and space for
educational classes.”

At NYCM Insurance, we know that by supporting the people and organizations
where we live, work, and play, we can strengthen the foundation of the
communities we call home. To support Pathfinder Village or for more information
on how you can donate to support its mission, click here. To learn more about the history of
our partnership with Pathfinder Village, click below.