Posts by htonak
Ballet Is for Everyone
In 2019, GiGi’s Playhouse Fort Wayne was growing, and our strategic plan included pushing more into our community, after all, our mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome, and that was not going to happen if we continued to stay within our colorful Playhouse walls. After several discussions and planning meetings…
Read MoreGrand Gesture at Grand Reopening
Walmart on Maysville Road in Fort Wayne, IN celebrated their grand reopening after a 19-week remodel. The team at Maysville Road did not stop at just celebrating their incredible efforts to create a space that is beautiful, easy to navigate, and shopper-friendly, they also made a grand gesture by giving $3,000 to three local organizations!…
Read MoreShouting Their Worth!
We are getting ready to kick off another session of Cheer Gems, an active, energetic, group focused on positivity, recognition and spirit. Our program leader and assistant cheer coach are amazing and ready to help shout the worth of our Cheer Gems! Meet Makayla! Hello, I am Makaylah, a senior at Purdue Fort Wayne studying…
Read MoreCooking Up Acceptance
At GiGi’s Playhouse, we empower individuals with Down syndrome to be the best version of themselves. When Kristen came to the Playhouse and started talking about her wish to volunteer, teach younger children with Down syndrome, and her enjoyment of cooking, we knew she would be the perfect fit as a co-lead for our new…
Read MoreFrom Health Bar to Barber Shop: A Life-Changing Journey
Meet Nick! Nick is a 2020 GiGi University graduate and has been honing his career skills in GiGi’s Genesis Health Bar ever since. Through his time at Genesis, Nick has shown that he shines brightest when he gets to help children. He will quickly greet our youngest customers and offer them toys to keep them…
Read MoreCatering With a Purpose
GiGi’s Genesis Health Bar was busy catering with a purpose on World Down Syndrome Day! Playhouse Ambassadors kicked off the day with prepping cookie and pinwheel platters for our friends from Fort Financial and Indiana ABA Institute! Rolling the tortillas and then cutting the pinwheels is such a great fine motor task that keeps our…
Read MoreCelebrate Differences Through Reading
Playhouse Ambassador, Cameron, and our Executive Director were honored to be asked to read at Covington Elementary’ s Read Across America event on March 2nd. For us, it’s an easy choice when it comes to reading a book. Our favorite go-to is Different – A Great Thing To Be by Heather Avis. The book not…
Read MoreA Journey Back to Where We Started: Meet Our Executive Director
I started my journey with the Playhouse in the Fall of 2015, but for the real story of when my journey with GiGi’s Playhouse started, you can go here. I led the Playhouse through opening in January of 2016 through the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. With a bustling Playhouse and the hopes…
Read MoreDreams Do Come True
Nolan is a 6-year-old aspiring news anchor who happens to have Down syndrome. While he has yet to see an individual with Down syndrome reporting the news, he is no stranger to being in a news story. It was through an August Positively Fort Wayne segment about Food Truck Wednesdays at GiGi’s Playhouse Fort Wayne…
Read MoreLook How Far We’ve Come!
On October 21, 2015, GiGi’s Playhouse Fort Wayne began construction on our Playhouse. Shambaugh & Son, Vintage Archonics, and hundreds of donors believed in the vision and made this empty and lifeless retail space into a purposeful space filled with opportunities, hope, and celebration. Over a dozen prenatal diagnoses have come to our Playhouse with…
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