Our Team
Jessica Hoke - Team Lead
As we start to come together and work on this project, I am eager to get to know each of you. I thought that I would take a minute to tell you my "why" in wanting to bring a GiGi's Playhouse to Knoxville. When we adopted my son as a newborn, we brought home a tiny little baby with Down Syndrome and whole lot of questions. I had never known anyone with DS and, despite having had 3 other babies, felt like I didn't know what I was doing. Everything was so new. A friend of a friend reached out via Facebook to introduce herself and her son with DS who is just a few months older than my Ben. She also shared about this amazing place called GiGi's that was about to open in our town. We attended the grand opening, and I knew I had found what I needed. I walked around seeing amazing families who were doing this DS parenting thing and I could see the love, support, and acceptance they had for one another. We got involved and enjoyed the LMNOP program, an amazing speech therapy program, the leaps and bounds and destination discovery classes, and countless events. I could walk in and not feel like I had to explain why my little one was still not crawling or why I was still having to bottle-feed my toddler. I could relax. I loved sitting at the playhouse while Ben did speech therapy and conversing with the adult participants who were often there helping staff with office work. I had never been able to spend time with an adult with DS, and I loved just being around and listening to their conversations...seeing what life could be for my little boy one day. I remember being at the playhouse one afternoon for an event and seeing a brand-new DS mama walk in wide-eyed. I could tell she was so overwhelmed and then I got to watch the staff just love on her and her baby. I got to be the one to chat with her about all the newborn baby things. I had become the parent that was there to listen. As I got involved and attended the yearly galas, I was able to hear how community members were changed by the playhouse. Kids who were able to volunteer alongside peers with DS and business owners who made space for adults with DS in the workplace. I got to see how the whole community is changed by having a GiGi's playhouse. Later, when we learned we were moving, one of the first things I thought about was how disappointed I was that we wouldn't be close to a GiGi's. I was so excited about Ben just getting to be old enough to start the tutoring program and other older kid events. I want to bring Gigi's here for my son, but also for all the families I know it can reach. Having a brick-and-mortar location with weekly programming that the larger community can see and visit is good for our DS community, it's good for all of Knoxville. It's good for the families that are overwhelmed and just need a place to relax and be loved on a little. I am so excited to learn about "why" you got excited when I mentioned bringing a GiGi"s to Knoxville....
Dawn Price - Marketing / Communications Committee
When I received my diagnosis at the very beginning of my pregnancy, I was met with only fear-mongering and dreadful predictions on how bad it would be if I didn’t terminate. “He will never”… In fact, my doctor continued to pressure me to do so till it was past the mark in not just Tennessee but Georgia as well.
Not one person provided me with any information, encouragement, or sources of support. I decided then and there that I wanted to not just change the dialog but the entire landscape. I went searching.
I, fortunately, had a friend from Miscarriage Matters, the woman I put in charge of our Spanish sister site, who had a child born a few years before mine rocking his extra chromosome. I went to her for guidance and she pointed me to DSAG. They definitely changed the dialog from worry/stress to hope. They also were the first to welcome us to this special journey.
What I want for Avery and all of our kiddos is a chance to have every single opportunity at hand to excel. For him to have somewhere people understand him and truly see him, where he can bloom. Somewhere that he can have friends who will encourage him to be his very best without limits. It’s what I want for our whole community, to not feel lost or alone ever on the journey.
Kathryn Kaduck - Facility Committee
Bringing GiGi's to Knoxville is important to me because I've seen firsthand the difference community support can make to folks with disabilities, even outside the walls of the Playhouse itself. In my hometown, GiGi's came first, followed by an ice cream shop operated by Playhouse members, followed by a coffee shop staffed by folks with broader disabilities. GiGi's Playhouse normalizes a public presence for folks with Down syndrome and their families, a visibility that is so important in building community, in accessing the broader community, and in advocating for inclusion. To bring that to Knoxville would be such a boon for our local families, and I'm excited to be a part of it!
Rachel Sales - Outreach Committee
I believe that it is so important we bring a GiGi's Playhouse to Knoxville because I believe our community is the best at opening it's arms and hearts to those with Down syndrome. I love Knoxville and I have called it home for 30 years. Those in my community who have met my son want to embrace him, advocate for him and be a part of his world. GiGi's would be such an amazing place for others to embrace those with Down syndrome and give others the opportunity to become such an important part of their lives. I believe that having a GiGi's in Knoxville will change lives and enhance our community.
Lesley Koboldt - Finance Committee
I had literally just told a friend “I wish I knew how to get a GiGi’s Playhouse in Knoxville!” My son Ziggy is 20 months old and is rocking that extra chromosome! I have sat and dreamed of a community that understands Trisomy 21 and believes those with Trisomy 21 are worthy. Our region is in great need of resources that Gigi’s provides and I cannot wait to see these amazing young men and women reach their highest potential thanks to the opportunity to have a GiGi’s in Knoxville!
Emily Huffman - Events and Fundraising Committee
Emily was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. She is an active member of Fellowship Church and loves attending UT sporting events in her spare time. Emily has an event planning background and loves all sides of events from start to finish. She is also passionate about the Down Syndrome community and is excited to use her talents to bring GiGi’s Playhouse to our community.
Rachael Frantz - Fundraising Committee
Rachael was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. She is married to Nick and they have 4 children - Joshua (20), Ollie (7), and twin girls, Jackie and Josie (4). Josie has Down Syndrome. Rachael was a teacher until she decided to stay home with her twin girls. She is an active member of Knoxville Mennonite Church and coaches her son Ollie’s baseball team. She and her husband enjoy traveling whenever they can, and they are so happy to be a part of GiGi’s Playhouse.