Teen From Mahwah Area To Be Featured On Downs Syndrome Billboard

MAHWAH, NJ — A Mahwah family is proud that their son will be featured in Times Square this weekend as part of the National Down Syndrome Society's annual video presentation.

Bryan Walter Payne will appear on Saturday in the NDSS Times Square Video Presentation, according to his mother Ivy, a Mahwah native.

The one-hour video includes more than 500 photographs of children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 12 countries.

Payne's photo was selected from more than 2,700 entries in the organization's worldwide call for photos, according to NDSS.

His image will be shown on two Jumbotron screens above the Dos Caminos restaurant with support from Clear Channel Outdoor.

Payne was pictured in his senior class photo for the Class of 2026 at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Monroe, N.Y.

The Times Square presentation is scheduled to be livestreamed on the NDSS Facebook page from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. (Catch the livestream here.) There is also a calendar available for purchase through the National Down Syndrome society featuring all those featured in Times Square.

NDSS said the annual display is designed to highlight people with Down syndrome in a highly visible public setting.

The video presentation also marks the start of the New York City Buddy Walk, which takes place at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The Buddy Walk has been held in New York City since 1995 as part of the National Buddy Walk Program.

According to NDSS, more than 150 Buddy Walk events are held in communities across the country and in select international locations. The National Buddy Walk Program was created in 1995 to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome and to raise money for local and national initiatives supporting the Down syndrome community.

NDSS, founded in 1979, works to support people with Down syndrome and their families through policy work, resources, community engagement and advocacy.

More information about the New York City Buddy Walk on Saturday and the National Buddy Walk Program is available at ndss.org.