Norwin student to be recognized at New York City Down syndrome event

A Norwin High School junior will be recognized in New York City’s Times Square on Sept. 17 as part of an event to kick off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.

A photo of Eli Passarelli, 17, of North Huntingdon, will be flashed onto a giant screen for about six seconds during an hourlong montage of about 500 photos of children, teens and adults from all states, showing the many faces of those with Down syndrome, said Michelle Sagan, a spokeswoman for the National Down Syndrome Society.

“I feel like a celebrity on the big screen! I’m so honored to have my picture in Times Square,” said Eli, the son of Christine and Ralph Passarelli.

“It helps bring awareness of people with Down syndrome,” Christine Passarelli said.

The event is designed to promote the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome in a very visible way, the organization said.

“A big piece of this is diversity. We’re really showing the community what people with Down syndrome can do,” Sagan said.

The video, with the photos of the people shown in alphabetical order, will be shown on two JumboTron screens in Times Square.

Watch it live

It will be livestreamed on the National Down Syndrome Society Facebook page from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 17.

Passarelli’s photo of him in his Norwin Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps was among the images chosen from about 2,400 entries globally, Sagan said.

“It’s great opportunity to learn leadership skills,” Passarelli said of her son’s membership in the Junior ROTC.

“This is a great display of how our high school is inclusive and … it shows how inclusive our community is,” she said.

Eli plans to attend Duquesne University when he graduates in 2024, his mother said. His older brother, Luke, is a college freshman and a younger sister, Ava, is a high school student.

Following the video presentation, Christine Passarelli said they plan to participate in the Buddy Walk through New York City’s Central Park, a family event. A similar Buddy Walk is planned for Pittsburgh on Oct. 23.