What a Wonderful Day at the 2026 GiGi’s 5K – Dash for Down Syndrome! 💙

Sunshine, lake breezes, smiling faces, pom-poms, music, laughter, and endless team spirit filled Lake Park on May 31 as our community came together for the 5th Annual GiGi’s 5K – Dash for Down Syndrome!

With 427 participants registered and 26 incredible teams, this year’s Dash was a joyful celebration of acceptance, connection, and the amazing individuals and families who make GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee so special. Even with a cool breeze rolling in off the lake at times, the energy throughout the park was warm, welcoming, and unforgettable.

Families, friends, volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and supporters showed up in such a BIG way; cheering each other on, reconnecting with friends, meeting new families, and celebrating every participant who crossed the finish line.

We are incredibly grateful for every single team that made this event so special:

💙 Quinn’s Crew
💙 Julian’s Joy Crew
💙 Ollie’s Entourage
💙 Team Frick & Frack
💙 Ryan’s Rebel Squad
💙 Daphne’s Sweet 16 Squad
💙 Can’t Stop Christopher
💙 Theodore’s Roadster Racers
💙 Griffin’s Gang
💙 Bea’s Besties
💙 Team Elian
💙 High Five for Elise!
💙 Special K
💙 GiGi’s Milwaukee
💙 Neighbors of GiGi’s
💙 The Fighting Peanuts
💙 Caroline’s Crew
💙 Jonah’s Joggers
💙 Max’s Maniacs
💙 Team Rivero
💙 Stormonth Strong
💙 Team Sonshine
💙 Getting Down With Kimmy
💙 Team Grace
💙 Ollie Pop
💙 Baird – Schmit Group

A special congratulations to the five teams who earned featured spots on our GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee Welcome Windows:

⭐ Quinn’s Crew
⭐ Julian’s Joy Crew
⭐ Ollie’s Entourage
⭐ Team Frick & Frack
⭐ Ryan’s Rebel Squad

We also celebrated our Golden Ticket Welcome Window winners:

✨ Juliette T
✨ Daphne K
✨ Elise J
✨ Christopher K

And a HUGE shoutout to Julian’s Joy Crew for being our LARGEST TEAM with an incredible 63 team members! 🎉

From the Participants Dash to the 5K, from dance parties to finish line cheers, this event was a beautiful reminder of what happens when a community comes together with acceptance, generosity, and joy.

Because of this incredible support, GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee can continue providing free educational, therapeutic, career development, and social programs for more than 620 local families – all with NO government funding.

Most importantly, this event reminded us how important connection truly is. We loved seeing families together, participants celebrated, volunteers stepping in to help, and community members learning more about our mission.

As we head into the rest of the year, we want to continue building these connections and relationships beyond Dash Day. We would LOVE to see your photos, hear your stories, celebrate your milestones, and connect with your families both at GiGi’s and out in the community. Whether it’s a program success, a favorite Dash memory, a family outing, school achievement, a new skill, or everyday moment that makes you smile – we want to celebrate your ‘Best of All’ alongside you.

Please continue sharing your photos and stories with us. This Playhouse is here for you, and we are so grateful to walk beside your families every step of the way. 💙

Thank you for walking, running, volunteering, donating, sponsoring, cheering, and believing in this mission. We are already looking forward to next year! 👟