Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day at our 2nd Dance Party!

We are thrilled to be hosting a Sock Hop on World Down Syndrome Day. It will be an incredible way to celebrate our kids and loved ones with Down syndrome. March 21 is established as World Down Syndrome Day because Down syndrome is identified by a third copy of the 21st chromosome, hence 3/21. People all over the world celebrate the beauty that those with an extra 21st chromosome bring to our lives. 

So you don’t want to miss our Sock Hop Dance Party, Saturday, March 21 from 2-4 PM at Birmingham Groves High School. This is a family event for all ages and will be a fun afternoon dancing, connecting and celebrating everyone with Down syndrome, while raising critical funds to continue the impact our Playhouse is having! And we’re incorporating the popular “Lots of Socks” or “Rock Your Socks” way of celebrating WDSD with our Sock Hop theme. We’ll have music provided by DJ Tony Ancevski of Essence of TONE entertainment, as well as face painting and balloon animals by Face Painting Robot, snacks, drinks and more! 

A Look Back at our First Dance Party

In March 2018 we hosted our first Dance Party at Groves High School. We were still in start-up mode without a location or programs running. We had such an amazing afternoon, with 27 teams and over 500 people attend that day! As a result of the money raised we started searching for a location, which eventually lead to our Grand Opening 10 months later. Additionally, the beautiful faces currently adorning our Playhouse windows were from the top 10 fundraising teams at the 2018 Dance Party. Read on for how your loved one with Down syndrome could become one of the new faces of GiGi’s Detroit!  

You can participate in our 2020 Dance Party in 4 Ways: 

• Create a team and recruit your family, friends, classmates and coworkers to join you! It’s only $10 for ages 17 and under and $20 for 18 and over.  
• Join an existing team to increase their fundraising impact. 
• Make a donation to a team if you can’t attend on March 21. 
• Be one of our event sponsors! For $500, your Nifty 50’s Sponsorship comes with prominent signage and recognition at the event, your logo displayed on our event website, and social media and eNews promotion that reaches thousands! 

Not only will this be a fun afternoon with your friends and family, the top 10 fundraising teams/individuals will have a professional photo shoot of their loved one with Down syndrome. Their photo will adorn the Playhouse’s exterior windows for all to see! Will your child or loved one with Down syndrome be the new face of our Playhouse?

Griffin Claw Partnership on World Down Syndrome Day

We also have another way to increase our fundraising impact on WDSD! The Michigan Brewery, Griffin Claw, has pledged to donate to GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit on March 21, 2020!  If you are looking for some excellent food and drink either before or after the Sock Hop, head over to Griffin Claw. Griffin Claw Brewing Company is located at 575 South Eton Street in Birmingham, Michigan and will be open 12pm-12am on March 21. 

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Griffin Claw,” said Lisa Kocab, GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit Board President. “Griffin Claw has a direct connection to our Down syndrome community, and we love their commitment to community in general.” Griffin Claw Chief Financial Officer Pat Craddock’s son, Ian, has Down syndrome. We hope to see you at Griffin Claw before or after the Sock Hop! 

Make an Impact

Your participation in this fundraising event will ensure the FREE programs we provide individuals with Down syndrome will continue to grow and expand! Our first year open we’ve served over 600 individuals with Down syndrome and their families, spending over 3,100 hours at the Playhouse! We hope to expand upon our first year, providing the opportunity for more individuals to learn and improve their reading and math skills, better their health and wellness, develop career skills and ultimately help them reach their greatest potential!  YOU are a critical partner to help us continuing to make an impact!

We can’t wait to see on March 21st! Register or donate today!