Celebrating our Community that Embraces Acceptance

Our 7th annual gala was a Willy Wonka inspired night of pure imagination! The Generation G Golden Ticket gala allowed us to bring fun and whimsy to the ever important work we do of changing the way the world views Down syndrome and bringing a global message of acceptance for all.

This year was the first time we have awarded volunteers and community members for their work in supporting our mission.

We are grateful to every single volunteer, supporter and believer that has shown their support of the Down syndrome community. Following are the volunteers and supporters we celebrated this year.

Courtney presented the volunteer awards and shared: “Volunteers are the heart of GiGi’s Playhouse. They are the selfless, passionate, and optimistic people that keep us running. They are parents, students, friends grandpas, grandmas, siblings, community members, and most importantly, advocates.

They make time to serve, support, and empower our individuals with Down syndrome to succeed and feel valued daily. The work they do is priceless.

As a Playhouse we have had over 1,300 volunteers walk through our door since opening in 2016. These volunteers have accumulated over 25,000 hours of time spent dedicated to our organization.

Tonight, we recognize two key volunteers who have given countless hours to help us bring enriching program opportunities and experiences to our Playhouse and create a space where our community can thrive. They have made an impact that will be remembered forever. ”

2023 Volunteer of the Year

Sarah Jensen, Volunteer of the Year

“Our volunteer of the year award goes to an individual that has been actively involved with our Madison Playhouse since the beginning. She is currently our Teen group program leader and volunteers to help out wherever needed, without hesitation. A reliable, optimistic, and genuine person- she is now a peer mentor to many volunteers, and a friend to all. Please give it up for Sarah Jensen- our 2023 Volunteer of the Year”

Missy Miller- Generation G Award

“Generation G is a conscious decision to be better every day. Our Generation G Volunteer Award recognizes a true believer of our mission; an accepting, generous, and kind person. This individual came to us as a local community member and Playhouse mom and has transformed into on of our most dedicated volunteers. She has helped build the foundation of our GiGiFIT and GiGi’s Kitchen programs and continues to help us build partnerships with our local communities. In Missy’s words, “What you do matters. You can make a difference in someone’s life by volunteering. Please give it up for Missy Miller-our 2023 Generation G Award recipient.”

Kelly had the opportunity to present our two community awards.

Muskellounge and Sporting Club- Community Impact Award

“This organization is a local business that goes above and beyond in supporting our Playhouse mission. They have raised about $5,000 for us with close to 20 unsolicited fundraisers over the last three years, plus they sponsored our golf outing this year. Our Community Impact Award goes to the Muskellounge and Sporting Club.”

Wispact/Wispact Foundation- Believer Award

“Our next community award, called the Believer Award, is going to an organization who has consistently demonstrated their support of our Playhouse community over the years. They have sponsored our gala and golf outing, they host family speakers to help set our families up for success with special needs trusts and able accounts, and they have awarded us about $27,000 in grant funding for our programs. This year they even awarded all three Wisconsin Playhouses with grants! Our Believer Award goes to our friends at Wispact.”

Wispact check presentation to GiGi’s Playhouse Madison, Milwaukee and Wauasu