PRINCETON — Kristi Sigmon waved to passersby from a stroller her daddy pushed, while Brayden Riffe caught a ride in his papaw’s arms Saturday around Glenwood Lake. A short walk away, Maggie Webb sported little, blonde pigtails as she posed for pictures near the swings.

All three very special children were born with Down syndrome, but they were stars of the day Saturday, when the Buddies of the Virginias’ set out on the organization’s third annual Buddy Walk. In fact, their parents said they were blessed to be entrusted with such angels on earth.

“The people that have a Down syndrome child are given that child from God,” Mark Sigmon, Kristi’s dad, said. “That’s a very special thing.”

Debbie and Mark Sigmon didn’t know their baby was going to have Down syndrome until she was born just a little more than two years ago. They’ve faced challenges as Kristi has grown — some typical and others unique to Down syndrome families.

Like most 2-year-olds, Kristi has a little trouble feeding herself, and she’s still working on speaking. But, she knows sign language to get her point across. She can tell her family when she’s hungry, sleepy or happy, and she’s even learned how to tell someone they’re pretty.

“She’s not talking very much, but she can tell us anything she wants,” Debbie Sigmon said.

To raise funds for Team Kristi, Debbie said she and the 28 people on her team sold Down syndrome awareness bracelets and yellow-and-blue car magnets, along with sponsorships for the walk.

Debbie couldn’t believe the number of people who turned out for the walk.

“It’s nice that this many people care enough to come out and support our special angel,” she said.

Alicia Webb, of Bluefield, Va., said Maggie has helped her appreciate the small victories and things that are really important in life. Maggie doesn’t talk much, but she’s learning sign language like a pro, and she’s learned how to get around by scooting on her bottom.

“It makes you appreciate life in general more, and it makes you appreciate children who are born healthy and the ones born special,” Webb said.

As one of the leaders of Team Maggie, Webb said she hoped the Buddy Walk raised lots of money for the National Down Syndrome Society, but there was also a message she wanted other parents to understand.

“Down syndrome is not the end of the world. It’s a blessing in disguise really,” she said.

Phil and Jessica Riffe, of Falls Mills, Va., were living in Virginia Beach until recently, when they moved back home to be closer to family. Brayden, their 22-month-old son, has Down Syndrome, but he was quick to tell everyone he was “the best” Saturday. As Phil asked who was the best boy, Brayden gleefully raised both hands in the air and smiled big.

“One of the biggest things is that these kids don’t fit the stereotype of someone who’s handicapped or disabled. They just have a condition that makes them a little different,” Phil Riffe said. “They’re very loving, and they’re very intelligent.”

That’s a message Jessica Riffe echoed, recommending anyone who encounters a child or adult with Down syndrome should simply ask the questions that make them curious.

“Don’t be shy. They’re people just like everyone else,” she said. “A lot of people just stare, and I’d much rather they ask, ‘Does he have Down syndrome?’ Then, I could say, ‘Well, yes. He does.’ And, we could go on from there.”

Education and acceptance of Down syndrome, created by the presence of an extra chromosome, were the primary reasons the National Down Syndrome Society started Buddy Walks in 1995. The first year, there were 17 walks hosted across the nation. In 1999, the Society added fundraising as a key component, and the event continued growing by leaps and bounds.

In 2007, the last year for which the NDSS listed results on its website, there were more than 270 Buddy Walks in the United States and abroad. They raised more than $9.5 million for research and programs to assist people and families facing Down syndrome.

Compared with the national number, the walk Saturday at Glenwood Park was small. But, it made a big difference to the people involved.

“It’s really encouraging that all these people have shown up to support us and Team Maggie,” Alicia Webb said. “It’s just really touching.”

For more information on the Buddies of the Virginias or the Buddy Walk, call Amanda Roten at (304) 922-4137 or DeAnza McKenzie at (304) 320-8787.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.