From Times Square to Roseland: MAC MOVES Brings a National Moment of Representation Home to Chicago

From Times Square to Roseland: MAC MOVES Brings a National Moment of Representation Home to Chicago


Spectrum Family Talks celebrates Down Syndrome Awareness Month with its 3rd Annual Community Event connecting Chicago families with books, art, resources, and inclusive experiences.


Just weeks after Chicago’s Maasai “MAC” Chandler appeared in the bright lights of Times Square as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual video presentation, the celebration is coming home to Chicago's South Side.


On Saturday, October 10, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Spectrum Family Talks will host its 3rd Annual SFT Community Event featuring “MAC MOVES: From Times Square to Roseland.” The free, sensory-friendly family meet-up and resource day will take place at Burst Into Books, located at 119 E. 107th St. in Chicago’s Roseland community.


Held during Down Syndrome Awareness Month, the event turns MAC’s recent national visibility into a local opportunity for families to connect, transition from self-isolation to community organization, and gain direct access to resources designed to help neurodiverse children thrive.


MAC, a Chicago child with Down syndrome and autism, was selected from more than 2,700 submissions to appear in the NDSS September 12 Times Square Video Presentation. His image joined more than 500 photographs of individuals with Down syndrome representing all 50 states and 12 countries.


For his mother, Arlene Chandler, founder of Spectrum Family Talks and author of Mac Moves Down Right Confident, bringing that moment home represents the larger purpose behind the advocacy.

"When MAC was diagnosed, so much of the initial conversation centered on limits and what he 'could never' do. What I needed then, and what so many parents need now are positive, authentic examples of joy, capability, and representation,"said Arlene Chandler. "Seeing MAC on that screen in Times Square proved that our children belong everywhere. But visibility only matters if it reaches our neighborhoods. This event is about moving from isolation to organization bringing that national moment home to Roseland so local families can see what is possible, connect with vital resources, and empower their children to rock their abilities with confidence."

MAC is also the inspiration behind Mac Moves Down Right Confident, a movement-based literacy and activity book designed to help children see themselves authentically represented through movement, confidence, and friendship.


The October 10 event brings those themes off the page through hands-on art, storytelling, family resource bags, and community connection.


Share Our Spare and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library have joined as event partners. Representatives will be on-site to help eligible families enroll in the Imagination Library program to receive free books monthly. Local Color Art Studio, led by Meosha Thomas, will curate an interactive art experience featuring oversized MAC MOVES community coloring pages. Burst Into Books serves as the event's fiscal sponsor and venue partner.


Community Partners Invited to "Pack Our Bag"

Spectrum Family Talks is inviting Chicago businesses, healthcare providers, and service organizations to help pack 80 custom "Confidence Kit" resource bags for attending families.

Organizations specializing in health, mental health, early childhood education, special education, and financial literacy can participate through two tier options:

•             Vendor-Supplied Print ($25): Provide 80 copies of a one-page resource guide or flyer by October 1.

•             Turnkey Print Option ($50): Submit a print-ready PDF by October 1, and Spectrum Family Talks will handle printing and assembly.

Materials can be reserved by emailing arlene@spectrumfamilytalks.com.


Registration & Support

The October 10 event is free, but advance registration is required as space and supplies are limited.

•             To register as a family: https://forms.gle/gPFCXDZPAdRnrMUo6

•             To sponsor or donate via Givebutter: https://givebutter.com/macmovesevent

About Spectrum Family Talks

Spectrum Family Talks builds bridges between families, schools, healthcare providers, and community systems that shape opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Through lived experience, advocacy, educational resources, and grassroots outreach, Spectrum Family Talks creates pathways toward acceptance, representation, and inclusion.


About Arlene Chandler

Arlene Chandler is the founder of Spectrum Family Talks, an early childhood educator, parent advocate, speaker, and author of Mac Moves Down Right Confident. Informed by her lived experience raising a child with Down syndrome and autism, Arlene delivers high-impact keynote presentations, workshops, and consulting for school districts, healthcare networks, corporate ERGs, and community organizations. She helps audiences navigate conversations around disability, identity, and neurodiversity equipping families and professionals to move from isolation to organization.


To book Arlene for speaking engagements, panel discussions, or professional development workshops, visit spectrumfamilytalks.com or contact arlene@spectrumfamilytalks.com.

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