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A word from our Founder, Nancy Gianni
Hello GiGi's Change Makers!
So many amazing things are happening across the GiGi’s Playhouse network!
But before we dive into all the good, I need to take a moment to talk about something deeply disturbing. I’ve wrestled with whether to even bring this up, but as a mom and advocate, I can’t stay silent.
There is now an AI app that allows people to alter a face to appear as though it has Down syndrome—and people are using it to generate explicit, sexualized content. These images are then posted on social media to attract clicks and drive traffic to monetized sites like OnlyFans.
These AI deepfakes are not only offensive—they’re exploitative and potentially criminal. They put our kids in danger and target an extremely vulnerable population. By the nature of their condition, individuals with Down syndrome wear their diagnosis on their faces. This makes them susceptible to being targeted, fetishized, or mocked; we cannot let these AI deepfakes imitate them for profit.
That’s why we’re launching a task force made up of Playhouse leaders, senators, attorneys, and advocates to solidify our call to action. Our first step: supporting the new Take It Down Act. Please stay tuned for next steps or email me directly to get involved. We must protect our kids, and we cannot do this alone.
This is just another reason why our acceptance initiatives are so IMPORTANT!
From the GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge, to our MLB tour with Texas Rangers player Jake Burger and the Burger Family Foundation, to the release of GiGi’s Journey—a powerful new book designed to inspire inclusion in schools—we are changing hearts and minds. We are showing the world the incredible value, strength, and love this community brings.
Please take a moment to read our June newsletter and learn about these initiatives and all the amazing work happening across our network. It matters now more than ever.
XOXO,
Nancy and GiGi
We’re not done yet—GFAC’s biggest weekend is here!
We get it. We’ve talked about the GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge. A lot.
But can you blame us?
It fuels our mission, funds our FREE program and brings acceptance to life — and it’s not done yet...not even close! This June, 16 more Playhouses are gearing up for the GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge (GFAC) events, including 10 events happening THIS weekend alone! So, no, we’re not slowing down, and neither is this incredible movement!
The GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge is a chance for our Playhouses to step outside their walls and into our communities, showing the world what inclusion truly looks like. Collectively, we’re aiming to raise $2.75 million across all our GFAC events to keep our free, life-changing programming thriving.
Whether you haven’t signed up yet, your local event is still coming, or you missed your event but want to stay involved, it’s not too late to become a GFAC champion!
- Register to walk, run, or volunteer
- Donate as an individual or corporate sponsor
- Share the mission and spread the word
Let’s make these final events our biggest celebration of acceptance yet!
Big leagues visits. Bigger impact.
Cracker Jacks. Curveballs. And changing the world? The GiGi’s X MLB tour is in full swing and bringing big-league energy to Playhouses across the country!
Created in partnership with Texas Rangers player Jake Burger, his wife Ashlyn, and the Burger Family Foundation, the GiGi’s X MLB tour was launched in honor of their daughter Penelope, who has Down syndrome.
The tour kicked off in Cincinnati at the end of March — and since then, momentum has only grown. Over Memorial Day weekend, Jake, Ashlyn, and Penelope visited our Chicago Playhouse. Next up was GiGi’s Playhouse Tampa, where Tampa Bay Rays players joined Jake and other Rangers teammates for an unforgettable LMNOP class. And most recently, Jake, Ashlyn, and Penelope visited our Twin Cities Playhouse, continuing the tour’s powerful mission.
At every stop, our participants and families have felt the big-league love, but this tour is more than just a chance for selfies. It’s shining a national spotlight on the Down syndrome community and helping GiGi’s Playhouse spread acceptance from ballparks to Playhouse across the country!
Learn more about the GiGi’s X MLB tour here.
Just printed and already changing hearts — GiGi’s Journey is here!
The newest book in the beloved Harry Moon series introduces GiGi, the first main character with Down syndrome, and she’s based off our very own GiGi Gianni!
But this isn’t a story about a diagnosis; it’s about courage, friendship, and magical adventures. Set in the world of Sleepy Hollow and created in partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse, GiGi’s Journey opens the door for more inclusion, understanding, and visibility in classrooms everywhere. This is a powerful chance to reach all young readers and change how they see the world.
STEM at GiGi’s: Innovation, inclusion, and impact
What does it take to launch a national STEM program? (Here’s a hint: a lot more than just a love for science).
This summer, our National/Hoffman Estates, Deerfield, and Fort Wayne Playhouses are piloting our newest program: GiGi’s STEM. This cutting-edge initiative integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to help individuals with Down syndrome develop essential skills like problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork. While the activities may look like fun (and they are!), every element has been thoughtfully designed with purpose.
For months, our national Programs team has gone to work — researching best practices in inclusive STEM education, consulting with therapists, educators, and families, and building a curriculum focused on real-world skills.
Behind the scenes, teams across our National Office have collaborated to bring it to life, designing lesson plans, creating training guides, building Salesforce tracking tools, and crafting toolkits to make this program scalable nationwide.
Like all GiGi’s programs, STEM is 100% free to our families. But free doesn’t mean less; it means everyone deserves access to excellence.
Stay tuned as we continue to launch, refine, and expand this innovative program.
Keep the learning going this summer at GiGi’s!
School may be out, but the growth doesn’t stop at GiGi’s Playhouse! Our doors stay open all summer long to provide FREE one-on-one literacy and math tutoring for individuals with Down syndrome.
These life-changing programs are always free for our families, but never free to deliver. Each tutoring session costs us about $100 to provide. Your support keeps learning going strong all summer long!
Raising voices, building leaders: Natalie’s advocacy journey
Advocacy doesn’t start in auditoriums; it begins in safe, supportive spaces. At GiGi’s Playhouse, we create those spaces. Our free programs don’t just teach life skills; they help participants become self-advocates, decision-makers, and changemakers.
GiGi’s Playhouse San Diego is a shining example of this mission in action, and Natalie, one of their passionate participants, is proof.
Natalie first discovered GiGi’s on Instagram while searching for more social opportunities. She quickly got involved in programs like Fantastic Friends, GiGi’s Kitchen Adult, and Friends, Fun & Fitness. From there, something bigger began to take hold.
With the confidence and community she found at GiGi’s, Natalie began using her voice far beyond the Playhouse walls. She became active in advocacy groups like the San Diego Regional Center, San Diego People First, and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Her leadership caught the attention of Safety Powers, where she took part in advocacy training, filmed role-play videos for her peers, and even gave a presentation on World Down Syndrome Day. We’re so proud of Natalie for sharing her voice!
At GiGi’s, we’re not just empowering participants like Natalie; we’re helping them be heard, be seen, and lead with pride.
Volunteers who feel more like friends
When people picture volunteering, they often imagine sterile environments, quiet rooms, and serious faces. But at GiGi’s Playhouse, volunteering looks a little different.
Our volunteers actively engage with our participants, interacting, having fun, and building meaningful friendships. Holly Siino and Claire Ramaley, co-leaders of the Fantastic Friends program at our Sacramento Playhouse, are a perfect example. Fantastic Friends is a monthly social gathering for adults with Down syndrome, designed to foster connection and community. It’s about friendship, independence, and fun.
Holly and Claire don’t merely act as supervisors; they’re also peers. They actively engage with Sacramento's participants, having fun, building friendships, and creating a warm, inclusive space. At a recent event, Holly and Claire hosted a Disney trivia night, bringing in a live quizmaster and transforming the Playhouse into a fun-filled game night.
Through their energy and dedication, Holly and Claire are not just volunteering; they’re helping build a stronger, more inclusive community.
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Thank you so much for this wonderful email! Our family myself, Noelle and my daughter Grace (she my 11 year old with DS), Josh Guastucci her father have been attending Gigi’s Playhouse Center grand opening here in San Diego in 2015.
We can’t tell you how appreciative that we are and how much value we get out of coming to activities and networking events.
Thank you, Ms. Nancy Gianni for all of your effort, commitment to improving the lives of folks with challenges, such as Down Syndrome. We appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts!
Kind regards,
Noelle Guastucci