July 2022 Newsletter

Hello to the Amazing GiGi’s Playhouse Community!

GiGi, Franco and I recently returned from an impromptu trip to our New York City Playhouse where we met with dignitaries from the country of Qatar. They wanted to learn more about our methodologies, model and our global message of acceptance for all. Qatar is one of the most progressive countries in the region and one of the 82 countries we serve with our free programs through GiGi’s At Home.

To think our model inspired them, and others from the Embassy in D.C., and the United Nations, is a true blessing! From our free programs to the Acceptance Challenge, GiGi’s is taking us beyond our borders and catapulting us into the world.

Thank you for helping us change the world! We couldn’t do this without you!

Read about it here

Last month we headed to the Big Easy to accept a prestigious award at the 2022 National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Conference. Along with receiving the Exceptional Meritorious Service Award, we also hosted a pop-up podcast studio for A Little Something Extra with some pretty extraordinary guests: Sean McElwee from Born This Way, Dr. Skotko from Massachusetts General Hospital, new friends from Nigeria and more. We also had a rockin’ booth and our own Shari Andress presented the “How I Learn” philosophy to a packed room of parents and educators.

To top it off, our New Orleans GiGi’s Playhouse, which opened during the pandemic, hosted an open house. It was nonstop action from the moment we hit the ground! We cannot thank our GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans board enough for hosting us and working our booth for the entire weekend. Our volunteers are the BEST and we couldn’t do all this without them!

Learn More

A step is all it takes to move forward, to feel free. That step, although it seems small, holds tremendous power, allowing individuals to pave their own paths and make their way in the world. Steps, however, do not come naturally for people with Down syndrome. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, it takes a child with Down syndrome about 28 months until they can walk, twice as long as a child without a diagnosis.

Because of YOU, The GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge brings in over $1.6 million while bringing acceptance to over 45 communities!!

Thanks to all our incredible acceptance advocates from all around the world, the 2022 GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge was the largest network-wide, peer-to-peer fundraising event in GiGi’s history!! 45 different GiGi’s Playhouse locations hosted their very own GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge events, resulting in over 10,000 people moving for acceptance across the country and in Mexico! It is people like YOU who are helping us create a more inclusive and accepting world for all people. See how we were able to unite our network together to create our most successful peer-to-peer event to date!

Find out more

What are you doing to stay GiGiFIT this summer?

Share your activity for a chance to win a Summer Fun Gift Basket!

Take the Survey HERE

Pride and a sense of belonging are what encouraged Comprehensive Marketing Incorporated and Industrial Source Incorporated to become GiGi’s Playhouse partners in 2011 and 2013, respectively. In 2011 GiGi’s had nine Playhouses and 16 in 2013.

Through board involvement, event sponsorship, promoting #GenerationG, volunteering, and so much more, Comprehensive Marketing and Industrial Source have been there to help us grow to 55+ playhouses and go international!

Looking Ahead

07/25: GiGi sings the National Anthem at the Cubs vs. Pirates game, 7:05 p.m. CT
09/03: GiGi sings the National Anthem at Down Country Music Concert, Palmyra, Missouri – Learn More
09/10: GiGi’s Educator Symposium – Learn More
Later this fall: 2 New Locations Opening in Cincinnati, OH and Orange County, CA

Want to do more? Did you know GiGi’s Playhouse is 99% volunteer-run, and we provide FREE therapeutic and educational programs to thousands of families across the country? Click here to volunteer or to make a donation.

Help Support Our Free Programs

GiGi’s Participant Makes History at Buffalo Music Hall of Fame

September 19, 2022

GiGi's Playhouse Inc. is thrilled to share that one of our participants will be inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame (BMHOF)! Next month, Sujeet Desai from the Buffalo Playhouse will make history as the first individual with an intellectual disability in the BMHOF. This is not his first...

Best Of All- Thomas Jenkins

September 14, 2022

"I'm happy to share with you that Thomas and I love the experiences of GiGi's Kitchen Adult!" I can truly say that 'patience is a virtue!' This cooking experience has been a test of our levels of patience together! Regardless, we're learning how to work better together and doing the...

Alec and Olivia during a GiGi's At Home tutoring session.

GiGi’s At Home Volunteer Spotlight: Alec

September 2, 2022

Alec and Olivia during a GiGi's At Home tutoring session. Alec was Olivia's tutor for the past year while he attended medical school! We knew going into the summer he was starting med school rotations and would have to stop tutoring a little early, but he...

4 Comments

Marcia Johnson on July 30, 2022 at 9:02 am
amazing, you just ozzze all the beautiful love of God GiGi, I am proud of you and am sure the Lord God is too, thank you for your encouragement!! 🙂 Looking for a way to support yall now, Love Marcia
Reply
- Karly Free on September 13, 2022 at 11:42 am
  Hi Marcia! Please check out the “Support Us” tab at gigisplayhouse.org
  There are so many ways to contribute, whether through giving your time or financially.
  Reply
Gloria LeBeau on August 7, 2022 at 10:27 am
WE NEED A PLAYHOUSE IN CONNECTICUT. HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO US?
Reply
- Karly Free on September 2, 2022 at 11:21 am
  Hello, please visit this page on information about nearby Playhouses, as well as our virtual platform, GiGi’s At Home. https://gigisplayhouse.org/locations/
  Reply