By Michael Seguin
Eight-year-old Vivi Conrad has an infectious smile.
“She is the most vivacious little girl!” Vivi’s Mother Joanna explains. “She’s very spunky and has a lot of attitude! She’s very strong-willed, very independent. And she’s hilarious! She runs our family. But she has this beautiful heart. She’s incredibly sensitive to people’s feelings. She knows if something is off. She will come and give a hug and love someone if she knows you’re not feeling well.”
Vivi Conrad is a LaSalle child with Down Syndrome. And no one in her neighborhood is a stranger to her for long. 
One flash of that smile, and everyone feels included.
And now, that smile is about to be shared with the world.
“I had submitted a photo of her to the National Down Syndrome Society,” Joanna recalls. “They have an annual ceremony where they broadcast photos of children with Down Syndrome on a billboard in Times Square! So, we decided to throw our hat into the ring.”
Joanna was optimistic about Vivi’s chances, but remained cautious. But as the weeks went by, she nursed a quiet hope that her daughter would be selected.
As well, Vivi being selected by the Down Syndrome Society would have been a tremendous gift to her.
“I’m turning 40 next month!” Joanna explains. “So, I thought if we won then we could take a trip to New York and celebrate!”
Eventually, the news reached them. The National Down Syndrome Society had selected Vivi to appear in their 2023 video presentation in Times Square.
“I immediately went crazy!” Joanna exclaims.
Vivi’s reaction was less enthusiastic.
“I said to her, ‘Vivi, you’re going to be in Times Square! You’re going to be on a billboard!’” Joanna states. “And she went, ‘Meh!’ But then, after showing her some photos of Times Square, she eventually came around. She asked if there was a Starbucks nearby.”
So now, one of LaSalle’s treasures is about to go international. Vivi’s radiant smile will be lighting up Times Square, spreading to millions and millions of faces.
“We’re going to Times Square for the unveiling on September 9th,” Joanna explains. “It’s going to be a big event. A lot of other families are going to be there from all over the world. After that, we’re doing a Buddy Walk in Central Park. Mattel is a sponsor, and they’re going to be giving out 2500 Barbies!”
And the whole event, Joanna stresses, is meant to spread awareness about Down Syndrome.
“We’re celebrating people with differences,” Joanna states. “That’s the beauty in this whole story. This isn’t just about Vivi. She is going to represent LaSalle and Windsor, but she’s celebrating for everybody. She’s promoting the narrative that differences are beautiful. That everyone is worthy of being seen. At the end of the day, this is about how far people with disabilities have come.”
When Joanna grins, you can see where Vivi got her smile from.
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