GiGi’s Playhouse Cincinnati 2020 year in review

This year started off with a bang!  In early March, we launched with the founder of GiGi’s Playhouse, Nancy Gianni, and her daughter Gigi, visiting Cincinnati.  What an exciting day at our Meet & Greet with 50+ friends and families getting to learn all about the GiGi’s mission and what will be coming soon.

We hosted a VIP Luncheon with several connections in our community where Nancy and Gigi knocked in out of the park with their presentation.  We were on a high, ready to take on the world.

The following week, our world was shut down.  All of the GiGi’s Playhouses across the US and Mexico had to suspend the 4,400 weekly therapeutic hours.  But that didn’t stop or even slow down GiGi’s.  Instead, we took action immediately to ensure all the families supported by GiGi’s would still have the resources they now, more than ever, desperately needed.  Only TEN days after shutting everything down, GiGi’s At Home was launched!

GiGi’s At Home was an incredible gift at a much-needed time.  Erica Manning, a local mother of 4-year-old Lynnyx said: “I love the virtual aspect of this so much.  We live in a rural area.  It is 45 minutes MINIMUM to get to doctor’s appointments or any events through the DSA.  An most appointments are for specialists, which our daughter has a lot of them, are 1.5+ hours. Having a virtual program works better for my family than anything we’ve ever been offered!”

All 60 locations in the GiGi’s Network (including Cincinnati) came together for the first-ever National awareness and fundraising campaign, Step to Accept, in June.  We were able to blow away the goal of counting steps around the world.  We went to the moon and back TWO TIMES!
In October we enjoyed our Fall Fest at the Branch Hill Mini Farm.  We hosted families and friends with all abilities who were able to get up close and personal with the farm animals, enjoy the pumpkin craft, eat hotdogs and S’mores by the campfire.  The highlight was welcoming 3-month-old Freddy and his family.

Since launching, we have raised over $30,000 in our grassroots efforts!  We have stepped up to Phase 2 of our Playhouse Build, raising half the funds to open and begin our search for our future home.  Over 2021, we will continue to break down barriers and limits.

Thank you to all of our current and future supporters.  We appreciate your welcoming us into your community and generosity.  Because of you, we are on track to open our doors in 2021!  Thank you for believing in us!

Please continue to watch our progress at gigisplayhouse.org/Cincinnati and sign up for our eNewsletter.

Respectfully submitted by your GiGi’s Playhouse Cincinnati Startup Team.