{"id":142684,"date":"2026-03-30T14:25:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/?p=142684"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:25:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:25:36","slug":"ten-years-in-a-love-letter-to-gigis-playhouse-cleveland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/ten-years-in-a-love-letter-to-gigis-playhouse-cleveland\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Years In: A Love Letter to GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Lizz Maxwell<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years ago, I said yes to GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Cleveland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


I didn\u2019t know then how deeply that yes would shape my life \u2014 my faith, my leadership, my understanding of community, and my sense of purpose. What I did know was that this place mattered. And ten years later, as GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Cleveland celebrates its 10th birthday, I can say with confidence: it matters more than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GiGi\u2019s Playhouse was built on a bold belief \u2014 that individuals with Down syndrome deserve to be accepted as they are and celebrated for who they are. That belief didn\u2019t just live on a mission statement. It showed up in families walking through our doors for the first time, unsure but hopeful. It showed up in volunteers selflessly giving their time, their talent, and their hearts. It showed up in participants who reminded us daily what courage, joy, and resilience really look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past decade, I\u2019ve had the privilege of witnessing lives unfold here. I\u2019ve seen toddlers take their first confident steps into programs, and young adults grow into advocates, leaders, and friends. I\u2019ve watched families find community where isolation once lived. I\u2019ve witnessed our Playhouse become a safe place \u2014 not just for those we serve, but for everyone who enters. This milestone reminds me of the countless lives that have touched this Playhouse over the past ten years, including those we have lost, whose presence helped shape what we do and why we do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership, I\u2019ve learned, isn\u2019t about having all the answers. It\u2019s about listening well, staying rooted in values, and showing up \u2014 even when the work is hard. Especially<\/em> when the work is hard. Serving this community has stretched me in ways I never anticipated and grounded me in ways I desperately needed. This role has been one of the greatest honors of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Cleveland is what it is today because of the people \u2013 our GiGi\u2019s family<\/em>. Families who trust us. Donors who believe in the mission. Volunteers who show up week after week. Board members, staff, and community partners who choose inclusion over convenience and advocacy over silence. This Playhouse stands because so many said yes \u2014 again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we celebrate ten years, we do so with gratitude for what has been built and anticipation for what is still to come. There is more work ahead. More voices to amplify. More barriers to break down. More lives to impact. And I am more convinced than ever that this community is ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years in, my heart is still fully in this mission. Still committed. Still hopeful. Still believing that every individual with Down syndrome deserves a world that sees their worth clearly and loves them boldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy 10th birthday, GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Cleveland.
Thank you for trusting our team with your story \u2014 and for letting us be part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s to the next ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a full heart and deep gratitude,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lizz Maxwell<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Director<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Lizz Maxwell Ten years ago, I said yes to GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Cleveland. I didn\u2019t know then how deeply that yes would shape my life \u2014 my faith, my leadership, my understanding of community, and my sense of purpose. What I did know was that this place mattered. And ten years later, as GiGi\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1730,"featured_media":142783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpo365_audiences":[],"wpo365_private":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1730"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}