2024 Celebrities

It is with a very heavy heart that we shared the sad news that our dear friend, mentor, supporter and champion, music legend Quincy Jones, passed away. Our hearts ache for his family and his loved ones. Quincy lived an enormous life and gave back to this world with all his heart. How lucky were we as a family and as the Down syndrome community to be on the receiving end of that love?

Quincy is iconic for his unparalleled talent – 28 Grammys and 80 nominations, collaborations with the likes of Frank Sinatra and producing legends such as Michael Jackson. But to my family and to our Down syndrome community he was equally known for his love for Sophia and all our children with Down syndrome who he often spoke about with conviction: “These children aren’t broken, they just need a leg up, the chance to reach their God-given potential.”

Sofia Sanchez is a Ukrainian American actress, model, author, and advocate. She first became known seven years ago for her viral video “Down Syndrome is Not Scary.” Sofia had her acting debut in the 2015 television series Switched at Birth and her first movie role came in the 2022 short film For Paloma.

Woody Harrelson’s rare mix of intensity and charisma delights audiences and critics in both mainstream and independent projects. His performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri earned a 2018 Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He was nominated for Best Actor by the Academy, The Golden Globes® and SAG Awards® for his portrayal of Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt. He garnered an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a casualty notification officer in The Messenger.

Jessica Biel is an Emmy-nominated actor and producer known for her acclaimed roles in The Sinner, Limetown, The Illusionist, Candy and dozens of feature films and series. As a producer and co-founder of Iron Ocean Productions, Biel’s work includes the anthology series The Sinner, which earned her Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actress as well as nominations for her role as executive producer. Iron Ocean was founded with the mission to tell stories that enhance female voices for all audiences and produced the record-breaking series Cruel Summer.

Laura Linney’s respect and gratitude for creative expression is limitless. Born to a prominent NYC playwright and a nurse, the Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy award-winning actress began her experiential education in performance art at an early age.

Linney graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School in 1982. She studied acting at Brown University, where she was on the board of the university’s Production Workshop group. After graduating from Brown University in 1986, she furthered her acting studies at The Juilliard School as a member of Group 19. She received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Juilliard in 1990. Linney went on to appear in leading roles across film, television, and theatre.

Bobby Farrelly is an acclaimed film director, screenwriter, and producer. Along with his brother Peter, the Farrelly Brothers are world-famous for their iconic comedies, including Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Kingpin, Hall Pass, and many others. Their films have grossed well over $1 billion at the box office.

As a solo artist, Bobby has also produced the award-winning documentary The Lost Son of Havana, and has directed many hit TV shows, including Loudermilk, The Now, and Trailer Park Boys. In March 2023 Bobby released the hit movie Champions, starring Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson, a heartfelt comedy that centers around a basketball coach who helms a team of players with intellectual disabilities.

Caterina Scorsone is a Canadian American Actress who has garnered the attention of audiences around the world portraying powerfully complex characters that bring real-world emotion to the screen. Scorsone began acting when she was eight years old on the long running Canadian children’s program, Mr. Dressup.

Best known for playing the reckless, yet compelling “Dr. Amelia Shepherd” on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (2010-present) and its hit spin-off Private Practice (2010-2013), Scorsone has cemented herself as a beloved staple of immensely successful medical dramas. In 2020, Scorsone guest starred as Dr. Shepherd on multiple episodes of Station 19, a new Grey’s spinoff set in a firehouse.

John C. McGinley’s path to stardom is a story that reads like a classic Hollywood script. While an understudy in New York in the Circle-In-The-Square production of John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, he was spotted by director Oliver Stone and soon after was cast in Platoon, the first of a long list of collaborations between Stone and McGinley which includes Wall Street, Talk Radio, Born on the Fourth of July, Nixon, and Any Given Sunday. John C. is an audience favorite for his hilarious portrayal of ‘Dr. Perry Cox’ in the Emmy-nominated medical comedy series, Scrubs, which ran for nine seasons and continues to be a fan favorite!

Madison Tevlin began her career at the age of 12 when her cover of John Legend’s All of Me went viral.  Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Madison is a model, advocate, and actor. Her credits include Mr. D, Who Do You Think I Am, hosting the red carpet at the Canadian Screen Awards, and her iconic role as “Cosentino“ in the film Champions, starring Woody Harrelson and directed by Bobby Farrelly.

Amanda Booth is an American supermodel and actress. She has worked on fashion editorials for Italian Vogue, Australian Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle and appeared in advertising campaigns for Lancome, Fiat, Hershey’s, Target, Old Navy, and more. She has been featured on network television shows including Hot in Cleveland, Maron, and Community.

Kellyn Acosta, born in Plano, Texas, is an American professional soccer player with a unique heritage as the son of a Japanese father and an African American mother. Currently, Kellyn serves as a midfielder for both the U.S. Men’s National Team and Chicago Fire FC. Acosta’s most recent achievements on the pitch include being part of the 2022 MLS Cup Championship team LAFC and representing the United States in the 2022 World Cup. Off the field, he’s a devoted father to his 6-year-old son, Emerson, and an advocate for inclusivity and positive change, earning him titles like Humanitarian of the Year both for his club and the league.

Alexis Floyd is a proud daughter of Erie Nation territory in Cleveland, Ohio, and now resides on the unseated land of the Chumash People in Los Angeles, California. Film/TV: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC/Hulu), Inventing Anna (Shonda Rhimes/Netflix, EMMYⓇ and NAACP Nominated), The Good Fight (CBS), The Bold Type (Freeform), Life’s Poison (dir. Malcolm D. Lee).

Niko Terho can be seen playing “Lucas Adams” on Season 19 of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. His character is a likable charmer who doesn’t have the grades to match his aspirations as a surgeon. Prior to this, Niko appeared in his first feature, Freeform’s The Thing About Harry, playing the title role which he booked mere weeks after participating in the ABC Discovers Showcase in late 2019.

Adelaide Kane is an Australian actress living and working in the USA since 2009. She first gained recognition for her roles as Lolly Allen in the soap opera Neighbours and Tenaya 7 (later Tenaya 15) in the children’s series Power Rangers RPM. She went on to star as Mary, Queen of Scots, in the American CW period drama Reign; as Cora Hale in the third season of the MTV series Teen Wolf and Drizella in the ABC series Once Upon a Time. She is currently performing on Grey’s Anatomy as Jules Millin and has been a regular part of the ensemble cast since season 19.

Actress Shelly Hennig continues to build a name for herself in Hollywood as a fan favorite with her varied characters and projects. She can currently be seen as the powerhouse female lead ‘Ava Winters’ in Netflix’s global top ten hit Obliterated, a laugh-out-loud, action-packed dramedy series from the creators of Cobra Kai. Already this year, she has starred in three films: Teen Wolf: The Movie for Paramount +; rom-com The List for Universal All-Access; and indie comedy Gatlopp. Up next, she’ll be seen in two indie thrillers: Cult Killer, opposite Alice Eve and Antonio Banderas, and Fluxx.

Max Carver, a native of San Francisco, initially gained recognition for his role in the popular TV series Desperate Housewives. His career encompasses a range of film and television projects, including appearances in Teen Wolf, The Office, and The Batman. Max continues to be active in the entertainment industry, also exploring his talents as a writer and producer.

Beverley Mitchell is best known for her role as Lucy Camden in the beloved series 7th Heaven, which holds the record for the longest-running family drama in television history. With 11 seasons under its belt, the show remains a cherished classic. Recently, Beverley has reconnected with her castmates through her podcast, Catching Up with the Camdens, where they revisit memorable moments from the series.

Kevin Iannucci was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kevin’s love of acting began at the age of 7 when his older brother cast him as the leading actor in several of his short films. He became a member of an inclusive Theater in 2011 where he would be involved with the entire creative process from story inception to stage production. Kevin started taking acting classes through a local community theater, North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre (NRACT), and at Moonlight Stage Company. His desire to be on the “Big Screen” was realized when he was cast as Larry Ellis in The Best of Enemies. He has continued to land roles in film as Patrick in Embattled and most recently as Johnny in Champions.

Matthew Von der Ahe, from Los Angeles, California, is a classically trained actor who started his training at age 7. Two years later he landed his first part on Yo Gabba Gabba’s episode, “the Band”. Most recently he can be seen playing Craig in the movie, Champions, directed by Bobby Farrelly. He can also be seen in the movie Secret Lives of Dorks and on the television show, Weeds.

James Day Keith is a multi-sport Special Olympics athlete competing in basketball, track, soccer, skiing and power lifting, from North Andover, Massachusetts.

James landed the role of Benny in the movie, Champions. Special Olympics sent the casting call, and he decided, “why not!?” His mother filmed his audition and sent it in. The rest, as they say, is history. Champions was his first acting role. He loved it! He is pursuing acting lessons and hopes to embark on a career in acting.

Kim Christiansen grew up in Colorado and graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her first job was as a writer and associate producer for the 6AM news at 9News. She went on to work as a writer for the late newscasts and eventually made the transition to general assignment reporter. Her first anchor position was on the weekend morning news.

Tom Green has been a part of Colorado’s broadcast scene for more than 40 years. He anchors afternoons at 9News every day at 4:00 and 5:00 PM. Tom worked at KUSA from 1982-95 as an award-winning sportscaster. An exceptional journalist and broadcaster, and passionate sports fan, Tom was named Colorado’s “Sportscaster of the Year” four times, and has won more than a dozen Emmy awards.

Mikayla is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah but currently lives with her family just south of Denver. She graduated from Colorado State University with a double major in Accounting and Computer Information Systems. She currently works as an Accounting Analyst at a growing company called Kodiak Building Partners. In addition to building her corporate resume, Mikayla is in her third year as a Denver Broncos Cheerleader.

Vika is a proud Denver native, in her third season as a Denver Broncos Cheerleaders. She has also spent two seasons each with the Denver Nuggets and the Denver Outlaws, during which she has been dedicated to giving back to the community, engaging in service work with organizations such as the National Sports Center for the Disabled, the Boys and Girls Club, and Children’s Hospital.

April Hawkins was crowned 2024 Miss Colorado for America Strong. It was only her second time ever competing in a pageant. Her wins prior to that have always been in the realm of sports.

April is honored to be walking alongside the beautiful models with Down syndrome. A lot of her “why” behind pageantry is to be a solid representation of what it means to show up as your authentic self and that when you do, you can move mountains. The best person you can be is always going to be you!