Serving up smiles; Coastal BUDS teaches cooking class for children with Down Syndrome

WILMINGTON (WWAY) —  Coastal Bringing Up Down Syndrome (BUDS) served up smiles in the final installment of a four-week cooking class for children with Down Syndrome on Thursday.

The final week of “Down to Cook” featured an array of festive recipes, but the icing on the cake for the budding chefs was a graduation ceremony to end the evening, when they were each honored with a certificate.

The program paired participants aged five to twelve with volunteers to learn life skills like meal preparation, nutrition, and kitchen safety.

They met in their kitchen at Coastal BUDS’ suite in the Harrelson Center every Thursday throughout the month of November.

This was Weezie Davenport’s second year as the program’s lead instructor. Watching her students tie their aprons one last time, she felt proud of their success.

“Oh, I feel great,” she said as she prepared ingredients for the class. “They’ve been wonderful. It’s such a joy to work with these kids. I just love it every time.”

Outside of the class, Davenport is the owner of Weezie’s Colorful Kitchen, a meal-delivery service that offers healthy meals on wheels for the Wilmington community.

Davenport explained that she also aims to incorporate healthy options into each class that she teaches.

The menu for the evening included banana snowmen complete with chocolate chip buttons and a carrot nose. Students then used slices of toast, fruits, and vegetables to create stockings, gingerbread people, and Christmas trees.

She revealed that Coastal BUDS has more classes in store for the new year for adults, teens, and children with Down Syndrome, from dancing, to swimming, to their annual Buddy Walk.

Coastal BUDS is a non-profit based in Southeastern North Carolina with a focus on social and recreational opportunities, family support and education, and awareness and outreach for those with Down Syndrome.

For more information on upcoming programs with Coastal BUDS, visit here.