10 Volunteers Making an Impact in Year 10

As we approach an incredible 10 Years serving our Madison community, and celebrate National Volunteer Month, we want to recognize the people who have made our mission to serve the Down Syndrome community possible: our Volunteers.

Volunteers are the heart of GiGi’s Playhouse. They are the selfless, passionate, and optimistic people that keep our programs and events running. They are parents, students, friends, grandpas, grandmas, siblings, clinicians, community members, and most importantly, advocates. They make the time to serve, support, and empower our individuals with Down syndrome to succeed. We’ve had over 2,400 volunteers walk through our doors since opening in 2016. In 2026 alone, our Volunteers have already served over 2,500 hours.

Check out 10 Volunteers below who are making an impact this year at our Playhouse!

Lee Pray – Program Assistant

Lee is a Playhouse Member who joined us in 2022 as a Volunteer. She has Tutored Literacy and assisted our GiGiFIT Kids and GiGi’s Kitchen Kids Group Programming. Lee is a proud Playhouse Grandma and actively participates in all things ‘GiGi’s’ throughout the year.

“I first considered volunteering at GiGi’s Playhouse when I found out that my second grandchild would be born with Down Syndrome. This was a whole new world for me and I wanted to educate myself in ways that I could help my granddaughter flourish.  I soon realized that volunteering gave me more than simply helping my granddaughter develop social, emotional and academic skills. It has given purpose and joy to the last chapters of my life. I have volunteered as a literacy tutor and with the GiGiFIT program for children 6 through 12 years old. With Tutoring, I have had students from 6 years old to their mid-thirties. Each have had individual personalities and abilities. I grew very fond of each of them.  One of my greatest joys was seeing a student develop in reading when the phonics suddenly clicked and made sense.  I also regularly take my granddaughter to LMNOP for birth to 4 years olds. There are many ‘regulars’ and it is fun to see them grow their individual personalities.  There is such joy in experiencing their smiles.  One of the greatest gifts of volunteering at GiGi’s is the terrific staff and volunteers. They soon seem like family.”

Lee’s Advice to New Volunteers: “Don’t let fear of the unknown or lack of experience hold you back. Just give it a go and have fun.”

Evelyn Bryson – Literacy Tutor

Evelyn is an aspiring Speech Pathologist and joined us this session as a first-time Literacy Tutor.

“I decided to tutor partly for one of my classes this semester, but also because I wanted experience in lesson planning (for my future as an SLP). I have so far LOVED tutoring Katie! I’ve learned how to use her strengths and interests to come up with activities and long-term goals, and am planning a larger research project for next month’s sessions. Katie is such a joy to be around and she has taught me so much. Often, my favorite part of the week is planning our sessions and searching for fun material to use! Some activities that Katie and I have been working on include reading stories about her interests (for example, princesses, Little House on the Prairie, Star Wars, and Paul Bunyan), answering content-related questions based on the text, finding the who, what, where, when, and why’s of the plot, identifying themes within the stories, and conducting small research projects (such as our small research assignment on gophers!).

A recent Best of All moment occurred this past Friday, when Katie read aloud an entire passage within “The Frog Prince” short story by herself! She had never done this with me before, and I was so proud to see her sound out difficult words with minimal assistance! She showed so much independence.”

Susanna McIntrye

Susanna completed her Capstone project at GiGi’s this semester. She’s leading our Achievers program and volunteering at both our Fantastic Friends and LMNOP Programs.

“I knew that I wanted to complete my doctoral occupational therapy capstone at a site that focused on a specific population of individuals and had always had an interest in learning more about Down syndrome. I had had experience with the pediatric Down syndrome population but never had the opportunity to work with adults. GiGi’s provides experiences to work with all ages, which was very appealing to me. In addition, GiGi’s provides numerous opportunities to tie occupational therapy values into their daily practice, and the classes that GiGi’s offers really interested me. 

I have been working on incorporating ASL into my Achievers and GiGi’s Kitchen lessons to promote accessibility during playhouse activities. I really want to emphasize that communication doesn’t have to just be verbal to be meaningful and that communication can look different for every person (ex: ASL, head gestures, facial expressions, etc.). My participants who did not previously use ASL during sessions, without prompting, have started to utilize ASL to communicate with their peers or display needs that may be more difficult to communicate. It has been very rewarding to watch the carryover of the practices and the positive reaction it is met with amongst other participants. 

Volunteering at GiGi’s has allowed me to better understand the needs of the down syndrome population and how important it is to create accessible environments for everyone. It also has been so fun to get to know all of the participants and their interests!”

Susanna’s Advice to New Volunteers: “I would recommend doing some basic research about the Down syndrome population to educate yourself about common strengths, areas of challenge, and connections between Down syndrome and other diagnoses. This can be super helpful when creating programming and volunteering because it can help tailor responses for the participants in an appropriate and effective way. It also can ensure programming is relevant and age appropriate. I also would encourage a new volunteer to be outgoing and get to truly know the participants! It is so fun to find connections between participants and staff that can be frequently discussed or utilized in check-ins throughout the weeks.”

George Piper

George has volunteered at GiGi’s for the past two sessions. He is a member of Edgewood College’s Cutting Edge Program. He chose GiGi’s as his practicum site and has made such a positive impact during his time here.

“I volunteered at GiGi’s because I plan on becoming a Teachers Aide, and I figured that volunteering at GiGi’s would be a perfect opportunity for me to gain more experience. My favorite activity I’ve done at GiGi’s so far would probably be doing the obstacle courses during TeenTastic. It was fun to see everyone enjoying it too. My favorite memory from GiGi’s would probably be becoming so close with the participants; the teens in TeenTastic especially. Volunteering at GiGi’s has impacted me because it’s opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking and believing. I love that a safe space for people with Down syndrome like this exists in the world.”

George’s Advice to New Volunteers: “My advice would be to just say “yes”. Say yes to as many opportunities as you can. Trust me, saying yes will make your experience at Gigi’s more worthwhile.”

Mary Lewis

Mary has been apart of our Madison Playhouse family since the beginning. She’s been our fearless Fantastic Friends Program Leader for the past three years. Mary also volunteers at several events and parties throughout the year.

“After losing my brother Rick in 2023, I started volunteering at GiGi’s to stay connected to a community that means so much to me. It’s a way of being with ‘my people’ and honoring him. Thursday is my favorite day of the week. That’s when the adult program, Fantastic Friends, meets, and the joy and energy in the room are absolutely infectious. Our Welcome Circle is a special time when the Fantastic Friends share what’s happening in their lives. Seeing their friendships grow, and the way they care for and support one another, is truly beautiful. Volunteering at GiGi’s continually reminds me that we are ‘The Lucky Few.’ It’s a perspective that keeps me grounded in what truly matters.”

Mary’s Advice to New Volunteers: “My advice to those considering to volunteer at Gigi’s is: Don’t wait another day to sign up! It’ll be the best part of your week!! You’ll get to hang out with the most awesome people you’ll ever meet!”

Guy Wilson – Math Tutor

Guy started volunteering at our Playhouse in the Winter of 2025 and has now been Tutoring in Math for over a year.

When asked why he started volunteering at GiGi’s, Guy answered: “I did a week long volunteer with my family at Camp Friendship north of Minneapolis. This is a summer camp for people with disabilities and myself and my whole family were impacted very much by this and it has stuck with me. As soon as I retired I knew I wanted to do something helping people with some form of disability. I found GiGi’s on line and it sounded perfect.

“I mentor students in math and that is fantastic. My favorite times at GiGi’s are when we reach a point in the session when the student and I connect and it feels like we have grown in our connection and they trust me. It really makes me feel like I am having an impact with the students.”

“Volunteering is a great way to give back to our community but I feel like I get even more than what my students get. I get such a good feeling of connecting with wonderful people and helping them out.”

Caitlin Paterson – Board Member

Caitlin is a current Board Member for our Playhouse and plays a key part in our yearly fundraising events.

“I started volunteering at GiGi’s through my connection with another former volunteer and board member, Camilla McKay. Between her and Kelly Antonson’s diligent efforts, I was convinced! But my true “why” for volunteering is because of my sister, Erin, who has Down syndrome. We had a lot of amazing support for her growing up and she has an incredible network now as an adult, but we didn’t have GiGi’s. I see how positively the Playhouse impacts families like mine (and Erin participates in programming when she comes to visit me, as well as doing virtual GiGi’s programs from her home in Canada). Having a dedicated place like GiGi’s where individuals with Down syndrome have tailored activities and a space to be themselves is such a benefit that I want other families to have.”

“The Dash for Down Syndrome 5k is my favorite GiGi’s event! I’ve run it a few times (in sunshine and downpours!), and this year, my team at work dedicated our “volunteer time off” to putting together ALL the race bags for participants. I also really enjoy our board’s annual strategic meeting, working with the playhouse staff and getting excited about where we can help the Playhouse go in the next year! “

“My favorite “GiGi’s” memory is meeting Annie Mulligan, Special Olympics gold medalist, at the Gala last year – what an incredible athlete and amazing speaker. My sister is doing bocce in the Canadian Summer Games, and she was enthralled when I told her I met another accomplished athlete!”

“Volunteering at GiGis continually reminds me what wonderful people are in this world, people who work hard to make the world a better place in so many ways. Through volunteers, the Playhouse staff, board members, program participants and family members, I am constantly awed by the kindness, dedication, and ability to collectively solve problems members of the GiGi’s community have.”

“My advice to a new volunteer: get ready to have your world changed! Those who chose to volunteer or get involved with GiGi’s are stepping into such an incredible place and space that will open up so much for you. Stay curious, humble and enjoy it.”

Cristina Duran – Intern & Program Leader

Cristina was an Intern with us for the 2026 Spring Semester. She Co-Lead our LMNOP Birth-4 Program with her sister, Monica, and tutored in Literacy.

“I chose to volunteer at GiGi’s because I have a personal connection to Down syndrome, and when I heard about the Playhouse it felt like a really meaningful place to get involved. I also love working with kids and hope to become a pediatric occupational therapist, so it felt like a great fit.

“My favorite program is LMNOP. I really enjoy how interactive and fun it is, especially with all the movement, music, and sensory activities. I’ve loved every day there, but the last day was especially memorable. We did a music theme, played a lot of songs, and sang together, and it was just such a fun and sweet experience. “

“Volunteering at GiGi’s has been a really meaningful experience. It has helped me grow in how I connect with others, be more flexible, and adapt in the moment. It has also reinforced my interest in working in a pediatric setting.”

“My advice to new volunteers: be creative and learn to go with the flow, because things don’t always go as planned. Most importantly, just have fun with it. The volunteer team and supervisors are amazing, so don’t be afraid to communicate and enjoy the experience.”

Emma Benewich – Program Assistant

Emma has been volunteering with GiGi’s as a Program Co-Leader for our GiGiFIT Adult program on Wednesday evenings for the past two sessions. She’s also been a huge asset at several of our events over the past year.

“I had wanted to volunteer at GiGi’s for years and was excited that there was one right where I was going to college! My favorite event so far was last year’s Generation G gala! It was so fun to hop on the dance floor with both old and new friends.

“I have made so many friends at GiGi’s and look forward to GiGiFIT every week. I am so appreciate of being welcomed in with smiles and high-fives every Wednesday. My favorite memory from GiGi’s was having a dance party at the end of a GiGiFIT session. Can’t go wrong with a good “Shake It Off” dance-off!”

Emma’s Advice to New Volunteers: “I would advise new volunteers to try out different kinds of GiGi’s programs! There is truly something for everybody.”

Brett Bauch – Board Treasurer

Brett has been our Playhouse Treasurer for the past 5 years. He’s an integral part of our Playhouse operations, playing a key part in our events, fundraising and more throughout the year.

“When asked why he started volunteering at GiGi’s, Brett answered: “Back in the day I presented to families on special needs planning in various places, including GiGi’s.  Zane saw my presentation years ago and recommended I join the board.  At the time I was on the board of another wonderful nonprofit, Wispact, and did not feel I could devote sufficient time to both.  Zane kept asking me out to coffee for well over a year keeping track of when my obligations to Wispact would end.  Once my term ended with Wispact I pivoted seemlessly over to GiGi’s Playhouse Madison.   It was a great decision and I am proud to be a part of it.”

“My favorite event at GiGi’s each year is the Gala.  It feels like a big celebration of the successes of the year.  It is great to see everyone dressed up, accepted, dancing, and enjoying one another with great food and some drinks.  As Treasurer I appreciate that it is a big fundraiser for us as well. My favorite moment keeps shifting as time passes.  There are many.  Right now it is the first walk through of the new build once we had walls and a roof.  Something a number of committed staff, donors, and volunteers have brainstormed, vetted, and worked on for years is finally coming into life and becoming real.  I share this already knowing my favorite moment will be replaced by walking through the completed brand new GiGi’s Playhouse Madison in a few months and seeing families enjoying it.”

“Interestingly, the vast majority of my volunteering time is behind the scenes and much of it is downright solitary.  Budgeting for the current location, reporting, and projections for our new build don’t necessarily generate a lot of joy on their own.  Having said that, I always smile when I think of the implications and families we are helping in the area and how the seemingly boring numbers are changing people’s lives.  It will be a beautiful legacy to see families using our new building and know that I was some small part of its success. “

“My advice to someone considering volunteering: Do it.  The staff is wonderful.  The families are wonderful.  The volunteers are wonderful.  The community is wonderful.  Be a part of it. You don’t have to know exactly what you will do ahead of time.  Just reach out and offer your time.  You will get back more than you give.”

Thank you to ALL of the Volunteers who continue to support GiGi’s programming, believing in our mission and allowing our community to thrive.

For more information on Volunteer opportunities, visit our Volunteer webpage – https://gigisplayhouse.org/madison/volunteer/ or contact Courtney Gamer at [email protected]