GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge 2025
On June 1, 2025, our community came together for our GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge, which is a 5K, Dash for Down syndrome, and Inspirational Walk to raise money for GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster! It is our only peer-to-peer fundraiser that we also do with the other 63+ Playhouses across the network in...
Brittany’s Bibs for Babies
Brittany loves babies a lot! She also wanted to do something really cool for her most recent birthday. For her birthday, she had the idea to bring blank bibs into GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster for her friends at Achievers to decorate and then give to the babies at GiGi’s. It was...
Bringing Amina Grace Speech and Language Program to Lancaster
In a video, Amina Grace’s parents shared that it is their goal to have the Amina Grace Speech and Language program running in every Playhouse across the network. They started the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program after their daughter, Amina Grace, age 5, tragically passed away. This was one...
Integrating STEM in purposeful programming for those with Down syndrome
We are grateful to the Steinman Foundation and the Lancaster STEM Alliance for the STEM Mini Grants that we have received for our Playhouse. With the grant money, we were able to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into our purposeful programming at GiGi’s for those of all ages...
A Look Into Our Weekly Achievers Program
The GiGi’s Achievers program empowers adults with Down syndrome with purposeful activities to ensure continued learning and fulfillment of life. This program teaches and promotes communication, self-awareness, independence, health and wellness through community engagement. Each lesson will provide participants with "hands on” learning experiences in a naturally occurring environment. Our...
Best Buddies Can Be Found Anywhere
In 2023, I attended the Best Buddies Friendship Walk at Elizabethtown College with the Elizabethtown College Dance Team. After leading a workout dance, I explored all the different tables that were set up by various community members and organizations. At some point during the event, a little girl named Bella...
So Much to Celebrate on World Down Syndrome Day
Wow, we had an awesome World Down Syndrome Day this year on 3/21! Every year on March 21, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with our community and the world. We celebrate on this day each year because individuals with Down syndrome have 3 copies of their 21st chromosome. We...
And this year’s award winners are…
Each year, GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster chooses to honor individuals or organizations that go above and beyond for those in our GiGi’s community and beyond. At our Gala on March 22, 2025, we were thrilled to give out 3 awards. Community Impact Champion The Community Impact Champion award goes to an...
How GiGi’s Taught Me To Love Dance Again
Allison was watching the New Holland Parade in the fall of 2021 because her oldest daughter was in the marching band. Allison was not paying much attention to the other parades or floats when her husband, James nudged her and said, “Allison, you would be good at that; It says...
Winter Wonderland Volunteer Appreciation
The Playhouse was transformed into a Winter Wonderland to celebrate our Volunteers at GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster! Over 30 volunteers gathered at our “Volunteer Appreciation Winter Wonderland” event on January 26, 2025. It was an event to honor the incredible group of individuals who give their time and energy to our...
Best of All Wall
One of our new favorite parts of our Playhouse is our Best of All wall! Our Best of All wall is a place where we take time to highlight and celebrate Best of All moments of our participants of all ages! Best of All is a term we use as...
Birthday Buddies: Lily & GiGi’s Turn 5!
On January 11, 2020, it was an unusually warm and sunny seventy-degree day in Lancaster, PA. It was a day that members of the start up committee for GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster had dreamed of and worked hard for during the past four years. It was the Grand Opening and Ribbon...