A Glen Arden Elementary student is headed for the big screen in Times Square!
First grader Vivienne “Vivi” Sprute has been selected to appear in the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video Presentation in New York City on Saturday, Sept. 12. Vivi’s photo was chosen from more than 2,700 submissions from around the world. She will join more than 500 children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries whose photos will be displayed on two large screens in the heart of Times Square.
The annual presentation celebrates and promotes acceptance, inclusion, and awareness of people with Down syndrome and is held in conjunction with the New York City Buddy Walk.>A Glen Arden Elementary student is headed for the big screen in Times Square!
First grader Vivienne “Vivi” Sprute has been selected to appear in the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video Presentation in New York City on Saturday, Sept. 12. Vivi’s photo was chosen from more than 2,700 submissions from around the world. She will join more than 500 children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries whose photos will be displayed on two large screens in the heart of Times Square.
The presentation will be livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page from 8:30-9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 12, with Vivi expected to appear between 9:20 and 9:30 a.m.
The annual presentation celebrates and promotes acceptance, inclusion, and awareness of people with Down syndrome and is held in conjunction with the New York City Buddy Walk.
We’re proud to celebrate Vivi and this exciting opportunity to represent the Glen Arden Elementary and Buncombe County Schools communities on one of the world’s most iconic stages!
Learn more about the National Down Syndrome Society and the National Buddy Walk Program at ndss.org.
Vivi's parents, Melanie and Kyle , sent the following message about her:
Meet Vivi—the first grader who has unofficially been named “the mayor” of her elementary school.
It’s not a title she ran for, and there certainly wasn’t an election. Vivi earned it the only way she knows how—with a smile, a “hello,” and a hug for just about everyone she meets.
Vivi is a first grader at a Buncombe County elementary school, and she happens to have Down syndrome. But if you ask the people who know her, they’ll tell you that Down syndrome is just one small part of her story. What really defines Vivi is her incredible ability to make people feel seen, welcomed, and loved.
Walking through the halls of school, Vivi has a simple mission: say hello to everyone.
Teachers. Staff. Students. Friends. People she knows and people she may be meeting for the very first time. And more often than not, that hello comes with one of Vivi’s famous hugs.
That’s how she became the school’s “mayor.”
And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful lessons Vivi has to offer.
In a world that can sometimes be quick to focus on differences, Vivi shows us what happens when we focus on what we have in common: the desire to belong, to be accepted, to be included, and to be loved.
Her hugs don't ask whether someone is different. Her hellos don't care what someone can or cannot do. Vivi simply sees a person and she wants them to know she’s happy to see them.
As her parents, we have watched Vivi teach us lessons we never knew we needed to learn. She has shown us that inclusion isn't just about making sure everyone has a place at the table. It’s about making sure everyone knows they are wanted there.
We hope Vivi's story helps people see Down syndrome through a different lens- not as something that defines a person, but as one part of a wonderfully complex, funny, loving, determined, sometimes stubborn and uniquely beautiful human being.
And somehow, the whole room feels a little brighter.
So, if you happen to see Vivi walking the halls of her school, be prepared. She may stop to say hello. You may get a hug. And you may just find yourself smiling long after she walks away.
Because that’s what the mayor does.