{"id":142155,"date":"2024-04-06T12:28:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T17:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/?p=142155"},"modified":"2024-04-16T12:09:52","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T17:09:52","slug":"ready-set-go-take-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/ready-set-go-take-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready, Set, Go! Take Action"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This is a blog by Maya Greengus, GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Madison\u2019s first board member with Down syndrome. Check back often to hear more from Maya, as she plans on sharing throughout the year \u2013 here and via our social media channels.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Madison Dash for Down Syndrome is about more than taking a pledge and donating to a good cause, it is a call to action to be accepting of individuals born with Down syndrome. Being born with an extra chromosome doesn\u2019t make us extra special, we are human, just like you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0724.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"414\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0724.jpg\" alt=\"Adult and child with Down syndrome wearing matching shirts that say &quot;Be Accepting, Be Generous, Be Kind&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-142156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0724.jpg 414w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0724-236x300.jpg 236w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alexa Arndt &amp; Maya Greengus at the <br>2024 World Down Syndrome Day Party<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you want to know why this matters to Gigi\u2019s Playhouse Madison?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are a Down syndrome achievement center that provides free programs to people of all ages, so we have access to the opportunities we need and deserve. Besides that, it\u2019s a place where people with Down syndrome are allowed to be themselves and express their own talents and creativity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The reason why I walk and run for Down syndrome is to show every single person born with it that they have a supporter who will advocate for them, in addition to their parents, siblings, friends, significant other, etc. We can all support people with Down syndrome and help them live life to their fullest potential: be capable, confident, make friends, get a job, go to school \u2013 everything people do who live their own lives.&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My team is the Madison Advocates. It all started in 2020 during the pandemic when I wanted to start a Down syndrome advocate committee where individuals with Down syndrome spread the word about GiGi\u2019s and the message to be accepting, be generous and be kind. We are the Madison Advocate team. The group includes myself, Sadler Bell, Abbey Kaiser and Jen Strauss. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"Adult self-advocates with Down syndrome dressed up for the annual gala.\" class=\"wp-image-142158\" style=\"width:598px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/Untitled-2048x1359.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Madison Advocates Sadler Bell &amp; Maya Greengus at the 2023 Generation G Golden Ticket Gala<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to be involved, take the Generation G pledge, and participate in the Dash for Down Syndrome by forming a team or <a href=\"https:\/\/support.gigisplayhouse.org\/gigifit-acceptance-challenge-2024\/team\/madison-advocate-team\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/support.gigisplayhouse.org\/gigifit-acceptance-challenge-2024\/team\/madison-advocate-team\">joining our team<\/a>, the more the merrier!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0726.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"414\" height=\"521\" src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0726.jpg\" alt=\"President of our Board of Directors, Board member with Down syndrome and Director  posing for a picture at an event.\" class=\"wp-image-142157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0726.jpg 414w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_0726-238x300.jpg 238w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Playhouse Board President Kim Arndt, Board Member Maya Greengus &amp; Site Manager Kelly Antonson at the 2024 Down Syndrome Day with the Experts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a blog by Maya Greengus, GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Madison\u2019s first board member with Down syndrome. Check back often to hear more from Maya, as she plans on sharing throughout the year \u2013 here and via our social media channels.&nbsp; The GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Madison Dash for Down Syndrome is about more than taking a pledge&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10894,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1551,1499],"tags":[1587,23,1040,22,1605],"class_list":["post-142155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","category-fundraising","category-self-advocacy","tag-dash-for-down-syndrome","tag-down-syndrome","tag-fundraising","tag-madison","tag-self-advocate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142155\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}