Events
The Annual NDSC Conference: It’s A Family Affair
New Orleans is a city traditionally known for celebrations and, in the years following Hurricane Katrina, gained a reputation of strength and determination through tremendous challenges. After a two-year in-person hiatus, it was only fitting that New Orleans served as the in-person home of the 2022 National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Conference. Known for a…
Read MoreGiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge Brings in $1.6 million and Massive Awareness
The good news is that it is still not too late to join us! With just several in-person GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge events to still occur this year, we are happy to announce it will be our most successful Acceptance Challenge yet! Across the network we raised $1.6 million… and counting! That’s equivalent to 32,000 hours…
Read MoreThank you to Accurate
We have all heard the phrase, “a match made in heaven,” but when it comes to describing the partnership between GiGi’s Playhouse and Accurate Personnel, the phrase could not be more, well, accurate. Chief Executive Officer Jaimie Rios’ daughter, Olivia, was born in 2011 with Down syndrome. Jaimie picked up the phone and called Nancy…
Read MoreThe 2022 GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge was a HUGE success!
The national campaign wrapped up Sunday, with a 5K Fun Run, One Mile Inspirational Walk, and a kids Dash for Down Syndrome, in Hoffman Estates. More than 40 in-person GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge events were held across the country, raising a grand total of more than $1.5 million. Equally important is the number of people who…
Read MoreMeet Golf’s Newest Celebrity at our August Golf Outing
This summer’s golf outing benefitting GiGi’s Playhouse will NOT be your average golf outing. Why? Because the star of the show that day is none other than Amy Bockerstette, the young woman with Down syndrome whose golf skills have made her a viral video sensation. Amy is the 20-year-old GiGi’s Playhouse program participant who stunned spectators with her par on the iconic…
Read MoreGiGi’s Playhouse Attends National Down Syndrome Congress in Pittsburgh
We are incredibly thankful and proud to have been a part of NDSC 2019 in Pittsburg. GiGi’s Playhouse is a strong voice in the greater Down syndrome community — our count shows that 43 of GiGi’s 55 locations attended! Nancy Gianni, our Chief Belief Officer presented at the Conference on how GiGi’s partners with other Down…
Read MoreThe Team Approach | Why We Run.
Why We Run Hello, everyone! On behalf of the Chicago Playhouse Board, we are delighted to be participating and fundraising as a team for this year’s 5K. My grandmother always used to say, “Many hands make light work.” I can think of no better and more meaningful phrase to describe the efforts of the Chicagoland…
Read MoreWhy I run | Huddy’s Buddies
I’ve always been a fairly active individual. I used to run for myself – for my health, to clear my head, to listen to great music, to greet the day with exercise, to feel my heart beating. It wasn’t until Hudson was born that I chose to run for someone besides myself. Hudson was born…
Read MoreHope found at a Gala | Chicagoland ‘i have a Voice’
Gala season is kicking off and you will NOT want to miss the 2018 Chicagoland ‘i have a Voice’ Gala! This is more than your run of the mill benefit dinner. This gala has a rocking edge, welcomes everyone and is filled to the brim with hope, inspiration, generosity, and FUN! Everyone who attends leaves…
Read More#flashbackfriday | The Goods Of The Gala
For many of the Playhouse’s across the GiGi’s network it is Gala Season so today we wanted to “flash back” a year to hear what the GiGi’s Playhouse “i have a Voice” gala means to one family, this family could be any of us and that is what makes this community so special. Enjoy…..…
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