Gasport girl's photo a part of National Down Syndrome Society Times Square video

GASPORT — A local girl’s image will be on full display right in the heart of New York City this morning.

Five-year-old River Disinger’s photo will be displayed in the bright lights of Times Square today as part of the annual National Down Syndrome Society Times Square Video presentation. The one-hour video shown on LED screens features more than 500 photographs includes children, teens and adults with Down syndrome from all 50 states and 14 countries.

Her photo, taken by Middleport photographer Erin Townsend, was selected from nearly 3,000 entries in the organization’s worldwide call for photos. Her photo will be shown on two screens above Dos Caminos restaurant in Father Duffy Square.

“This kid is amazing and we want to share that with people,” her father Greg said.

For the couple, having their daughter’s photo displayed is the first of many efforts to raise awareness and foster positive messaging as parents of children with special needs.

For several years, they ran a blog chronicling their experiences of raising their now 16-year-old twin daughters for approximately the first decade of their lives.

“It started more as a daily or weekly diary for when they got older so they could read about themselves, just like a year book or scrap book,” Greg said.

Having submitted photos of River for the presentation in previous years, Greg and his wife Jacoba were excited to hear the news that their daughter’s photo had been selected this year.

“About six weeks ago, I came home and my wife had this look on her face,” he recalled. “She was just over the moon when she heard our little girl is going to be on a big billboard at Times Square.”

While Greg said that they will unfortunately not be able to see the presentation in-person, her grandmother and uncle will be present in New York City when her photo is shown.

The presentation will be live streamed on the National Down Syndrome Society Facebook page from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.