Acceptance is a Marathon
Read about how a Playhouse sibling is running a marathon to raise awareness and acceptance for the Down syndrome community!
Guest Blog Series by Caitlin Paterson. You can follow her journey HERE.
Caitlin is using her training and social media platform to raise money for GiGi’s Playhouse Madison! You can support Caitlin (and our Playhouse) HERE. To date, she has raised over $3,000!
She completed her marathon in Louisville, KY on November 3rd and we cheered her on every step of the way! THANK YOU Caitlin, we are so proud of you and grateful for all your advocacy.
June 30th, 2024: When I signed up for the Louisville Marathon this year, I was thinking, how do I motivate myself for the long 20 weeks of training? Sure, I have personal “PR” running goals, but at this point in my life, they are less and less important.
What is important to me is my sister, Erin. On a recent visit, Erin and I stopped by @gigis_playhouse_madison
GiGis provides FREE resources to families and individuals with Down Syndrome, from summer programming to fitness classes to social events to speech therapy, and so much more. I was introduced to GiGis through my friend @blaisemckay1110 , who served as a volunteer, and through GiGi’s leaders, who warmly welcomed my family in and made sure they knew that no matter where Erin was, she was now a part of the GiGi’s community.
Because GiGi’s is an invaluable resource to the world-wide community, with 59 locations and providing over 200,000 hours of completely free programming to families, I am using my marathon training and race to raise awareness and fundraise for them, with a goal of raising $2000 between now and November 3. These dollars help keep the programming free and expand their reach and offerings. Stay on the lookout for my Instagram and LinkedIn posts each week, as I talk about the amazing things GiGi’s provides and maybe some fun sister stories! 😉 (Big thanks to Erin who has given me permission to share photos of her throughout these next 20 weeks).
I thank you in advance for your support. Your donation, of any amount, supports GiGi’s mission: to change the way the world views Down Syndrome and to send a global message of acceptance for all.
July 7, 2024: You’ll notice no running pics today. Because there are too many good ones of my “why” for fundraising for GiGis – my sister, Erin! Erin loves people, the Iowa Hawkeyes, parties with friends, food (especially ice cream!), and performing onstage (swipe right to see!). Through Erin, I have learned how MUCH a person with Down Syndrome can do and has the zest of life for. But I also have learned it’s not always a straight line. Just like with any of us, some things need more support, time, or resources. Erin and us, her family, have benefitted from amazing communities throughout her life, just like so many families with a member who has Down Syndrome benefit from @gigis_playhouse_madison. It makes a world of difference to have people around you that know the challenges, can you point to or provide those unique resources, and create a space where you can be free to be who you are. I want to thank all the folks who’ve donated already to the fundraiser (you are all amazing!), and I encourage those seeing this new post to share it with a friend. Link to donate in my bio.
Now onto a wet 9-mile long run (something Erin would say to me: “Whoa. Good luck!”) 🏃🏼♀️🌧️👯♀️
July 14, 2024: Hello all! It’s the start of week 3 for marathon training. For folks that have run or walked any distance, you know good shoes are so important to comfort and endurance. Nothing ruins a day like a blister from ill-fitting shoes! Runners especially get a little geeky when it comes to shoes. I can’t say I am that into all the specs and styles but I do love that fresh feeling when it’s time for a new pair. That time was this weekend for me! (Yes, my new pair is already grassy and dirty – it’s summer in Wisconsin!). 🏃🏼♀️👟🌻
I know one of the challenges for my sister, too, has been finding shoes that she can put on easily and that stay on and comfortable over hours of outdoor hiking or dance parties with her friends. I was so excited to see that @gigis_playhouse_madison has connected with Billy, a shoe company that is centered on universal design, making “mainstream shoes that are functional, fashionable, and inclusive for everyone.” (GiGi’s Madison families – check out your weekly programming email for a discount code and more information). If you know of someone who might struggle with finding easy to wear, comfortable shoes, I encourage you to share this resource. We all have a right to move and groove, and finding comfortable shoes is key to that.
Huge thank you to all the continued support for my GiGi’s fundraiser. We are new-boot scootin’ along towards the goal of $2000, and your generosity is the reason. I appreciate ALL of you! To donate, click the link in my bio. 🥾♥️🤠
July 21, 2024: Surprise: I am in Newfoundland! So grateful to be able to take a week and spend time with my family in some beautiful weather. Erin is so excited for me to be here, although she’s more interested in taking me swimming in the local pond than any running. 😉 I got to sneak in a trail run though today and take in gorgeous views! 🏃🏼♀️⛰️Not pictured but seen pre-run: mama and baby whale in the cove. 🐋
Stay tuned for next Sunday’s post, which will be a special one: an interview with Erin, the celebrity herself!
As always, thank you to everyone for donating to my GiGi’s fundraiser. I’m so appreciative of everyone sharing these posts and the link in bio to donate. ❤️
July 28, 2024: It’s the day you’ve been waiting for! An interview with the celebrity herself: Erin! Let’s hear from Erin about her connection to @gigis_playhouse_madison
CLICK the following links to watch her interview!
Thank you as always to everyone who has donated already (link in bio!), liked and shared these posts. Your support is truly appreciated. ♥️👯♀️
August 4, 2024: Have you all been watching the Olympic Games?! These athletes are amazing! Erin says her favorite events are women’s swimming, beach volleyball and track and field. I pretended I was one of those long distance runners for my 12-miler today! 😂 Don’t forget, the Paralympic Games start August 28th. Let’s support ALL our athletes as they go for gold. You can support your fellow athletes-in-training (or just folks like you and me who want to move and stay fit!) through supporting @gigis_playhouse_madison as they hold GiGiFit programs for participants. Click my link in bio to donate to support these and many other amazing programs.
August 11, 2024: This post is about the person behind this photo, the great Kelly Antonson! Kelly is the executive director of @gigis_playhouse_madison and is a force for good. As soon as I connected with Kelly about my sister and mom visiting GiGi’s, she welcomed them with open arms. She leads with generosity, connection, and a belief in the power of community. Just in the past week, I’ve met multiple people in situations unrelated to my fundraiser who have told me how amazing Kelly is and what a great partner she is in the greater Down Syndrome and disability awareness community. Thank you Kelly for all your support in getting this fundraiser started and for the million more ways you make GiGi’s better! We are grateful to you! (Link in bio to donate to GiGi’s). ♥️ @kjayogi
August 18, 2024: A really important thing about organizations like @gigis_playhouse_madison is that they provide a community for families to just be themselves. No explaining or masking, no double takes, just a place where Down Syndrome is the norm: understood, accepted and celebrated. A big sigh of relief is often the reaction when you enter those spaces, especially from my personal experience as a sibling of someone with Down Syndrome as well as from folks who have shared their stories with me about living with a disability. And once you get to relax and let down your guard, joy, friendship, creativity, and empowerment become accessible. We all deserve those spaces, and I am grateful to GiGis for helping create them! Please consider donating (link in bio) to support those safe, welcoming spaces for our families and individuals with Down Syndrome.
♥️🤝🤲🫶♥️
August 25, 2024: Although I am only halfway through my training for the marathon, and I’m so excited and grateful to say, thanks to all of your generosity, I am 100% at my fundraising goal already! THANK YOU for contributing towards making the world a more accepting place and making sure @gigis_playhouse_madison has the resources to support families and individuals with Down Syndrome.
If you’re in the Madison area next Saturday, keep an eye out for me and my GiGi’s t-shirt, as I run the Rockin’ Brews half marathon as a race tune up. The course goes right by GiGi’s playhouse itself!
September 1, 2024: Rockin’ Brews Half-Marathon complete! This was my best attempt at taking a photo while running of @gigis_playhouse_madison on the course route! And of course, obligatory selfie (smile is not indicative of how my legs were feeling at mile 10!).
Especially in the past few weeks, I’ve had more and more people who are “friends of friends” reach out to me and donate to my fundraiser. Most likely, someone you know or love is connected to the Down Syndrome community or other communities of folks with a disability, and I am proud to share this message of acceptance and celebration with them. Together, we are stronger, do more, and change worlds! ♥️💪🏻
September 15, 2024: This week’s @gigis_playhouse_madison post is dedicated to one of my closest friends, long time running partner (even in the snowiest of conditions!), and the person who first got me involved with GiGis. @blaisemckay1110 was a volunteer literacy tutor and board member for GiGis and is passionate about sharing her WHY.
“I became a literacy volunteer with GiGis during the pandemic as literacy is really important to me personally. I was so impressed at how organized and IMPACTFUL the programming at GiGis is. At GiGis, you immediately see the impact of your donated time and money, and there are so many ways to contribute to keep the programming completely free. Most importantly, these resources help GiGis create community for the individuals, siblings and families who go there.” ♥️ Thank you Camilla for all you’ve done to get your people involved and foster GiGis mission! ♥️
September 22, 2024: Happy first day of Fall! In true fall spirit, I caught a cold and traded in a 17-mile long run for a walk in the rain and fall colors with the dogs. 🍁🐾
Fall at GiGis brings back a lot of great, free programming to our Down syndrome community. The programming that all of you amazing people who have donated to my fundraiser (link in bio) support includes:
-Math and literacy tutoring and Speech therapy
-Destination Discovery: purposeful play and peer to peer interaction, including siblings and families
-Dynamic Duals: for families with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder
-LMNOP: sign language and communication for birth to age 4
-TeenTastic and GiGis Kitchen: social skill building through team activities and time in the kitchen learning healthy recipes and safety skills
-GiGiFIT for Teens and Adults
-Fantastic Friends and GiGis Kitchen for Adults: supporting adult social communities through activities and cooking
-GiGis Achievers: continued adult learning and community building
Amazing, right?! This doesn’t include all the special events, community partnership promotion, and fundraising events the staff, volunteers, and board of GiGis do, too! Now you can see what a HUGE impact your dollars make on so many programming participants. We are grateful! ♥️
September 29, 2024: October is Down Syndrome Awareness month! What does this mean? It’s a month to not only raise awareness of Down Syndrome as what we call a “disability” but more so to celebrate all people with Down Syndrome and share all of their ABILITIES. Many things have changed since a lot of DS advocacy in the 1980s, including more opportunities for people with Down Syndrome to be vital contributors in the workforce (my sister Erin has held many different paid positions, especially loved in the assisted living facility where my late Nona who is shown in the photo above lived), participate and excel in athletics (Google Kayleigh Williamson’s amazing NYC marathon performance last year!), and all other parts of communities. But it’s still important for us to continue sharing that message until, like is described in @gigis_playhouse_madison vision, we see a world where individuals with Down Syndrome accepted and embraced everywhere. Share this post to help me celebrate #downsyndromeawarenessmonth
October 6, 2024: Even more exciting than finishing my longest training run for the marathon was Friday night at the @gigis_playhouse_madison annual Gala! It was a celebration of generosity and advocacy for the Down syndrome community. And as you can see, it was truly a “disco dream ball!” Huge shout out to the Donovan’s, Sigurson (@alexsigurdson and @kat.sigurdson killed tbe costumes!) and Weiss families for leaning in and being tireless supporters! While this was GiGis last fundraising event for the year, you can still donate to my fundraiser for another 4 weeks (link in bio). Thanks to all!🕺💃🏼🪩
October 13, 2024: One thing I am SO excited to see for the Down Syndrome community is an increase in opportunities for ADULTS with Down Syndrome to continue their learning, development, and relationship-building. Finding those places and spaces hasn’t always been easy, and organizations like Special Olympics have been one of a few (among more local groups like my sister’s community theater and dance group – pictured here at one of their fundraisers a few years back!). However, as awareness has grown and medical advances have helped people with Down Syndrome live longer, organizations like @gigis_playhouse_madison are recognizing the need and filling the gap, creating those opportunities with their community members. For those in the Madison area, check out their Achiever’s program! I am grateful for this need to be met, so adults with Down Syndrome like my sister can continue their full, rich lives. 💙💛
October 20, 2024: Fall is here in full swing which means we are getting closer to race day! 🎃🍁🏃🏼♀️
As I start to taper my training in the last weeks before the marathon, I’m already thinking about what races I want to do next year! The first that comes to mind is the Dash for Down Syndrome hosted by @gigis_playhouse_madison in the spring. This event raised over $55k last year, and I’m excited to help contribute to breaking that record next year! The Dash for Down Syndrome is a part of the national Acceptance Challenge. I encourage everyone who has seen my posts and been interested in participating in “real life” to check it out wherever you live, starting in March 2025.
All of these events help GiGis raise money to host free programming for individuals with Down Syndrome like their upcoming adaptive cycling clinic. My sister attended a similar clinic, which I got to volunteer at too, and that’s where she learned to bike with a two-wheeler! It gave her so much confidence and the skills to do a fun, physically engaging activity with others.
Still thinking about donating to my fundraiser? Two weeks left! Check out link in my bio. 💙💛
October 27, 2024: We are ONE WEEK out from marathon race day! Which means one more week to donate to my @gigis_playhouse_madison fundraiser. As many of you know, my family has always been sports-oriented. My mom played collegiate basketball and my dad coached basketball (and my soccer team until 5th grade!) almost my whole life. I’ve always played sports and it was never any different for Erin. From spending hours in the pool to softball league to basketball practice, Erin has always loved and benefited from the sports community. So it also is no surprise that she has participated in Special Olympics most of her life, and as she likes to remind me often, quickly collected way more medals and trophies than I ever did. 😂 🏅🏆
I share this today because the Special Olympics motto was one repeated in our house often, specific to sport but more often in response to any challenge. That motto is “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” This saying embodies my sister and so many people I’ve met within the Down Syndrome community. It speaks to Erin’s fierce competitiveness (wanting to win also runs in our family…), joy, and love of the bonds that come from sharing trials and triumphs with other people. It is about the sense of something bigger than one person but the power of one person to make a difference. It is about the inclusion, the milestones met, and the celebration of living. And it is this motto that I will take with me into my marathon next week as I run for Erin and the Down Syndrome community. Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported the fundraiser, shared my posts, or even just started learning about how to be more inclusive. Now, on to 26.2! 🏃🏼♀️
November 2, 2024: Tomorrow’s the day! The biggest THANK YOU to the @gigis_playhouse_madison leaders and program participants for their amazing support before I take on 26.2 in Louisville. And with all of the support of you, my friends, family, coworkers and all the this new connections this fundraiser has built, I have raised over $2,700 for a cause that is so important to me. It is the generosity, kindness and advocacy for inclusion you have shown that makes this world better. No matter the size or type of support you’ve shown, it ALL matters and makes a REAL difference in the lives of others, simple as that. See you at the finish line! 🏃🏼♀️🏅💙💛💙💛
November 3, 2024: Goal ACCOMPLISHED! Finished a beautiful race course in Beckley Creek Parkway amidst gorgeous fall colors and Kentucky nature….and HILLS. Maybe underestimated those in training a bit. 😂 My caves and shins are feeling it! Most importantly, we did it for @gigis_playhouse_madison and all the families and people it supports. I have been so honored to work with @kjayogi and to be a part of something really special. If you’re reading this post, please stay involved with the work GiGis does by following their socials. Together, we can create an even better, more inclusive world for all! Thank you! 💙💛💙💛
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