A Very Special Thank you.

Thanksgiving is a time for us to give thanks, and here at GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville, we have so much to be thankful for this year! We have had a successful year, offering 9 recurring and free therapeutic programs for individuals with Down syndrome, including Literacy, LMNOP, Music, and Hop, Skip and Jump. We hosted various fundraising events including our Gala and Golf Tournament. We made lots of new friends and we hosted some great parties. We have served 120 families, for a total of 351 participants.  A total of 94 volunteers have volunteered over 2,200 hours to GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville leading programs, helping around the office, in committee planning meetings, and teaching individuals how to read.

 This November, we attended the Annual Conference for GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers in Illinois, where nearly 200 board members, volunteers and staff from 30 locations across North America gathered. GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville was honored with 2 of the 5 prestigious awards: the “Rising Star” award and the “Shining Star” award. The “Rising Star” award is given to a recently opened Playhouse that demonstrates exceptional potential, and the “Shining Star” award is given to a Site Coordinator who stands out among their peers who manage the local Playhouses. We were so honored to receive these awards. We have grown so much this year and look forward to our continued success in 2015!

We would like to thank all of the people that have made this a successful year for us and for allowing us to serve the Down syndrome community in Middle Tennessee! We would like to thank our dedicated Board Members that have been fundamental in the planning, success, and growth of our Playhouse. Our remarkable volunteers that are always willing to help wherever they are needed. From program leaders to event planners, to clean team members, your time, dedication, and love make our dream a reality.  To our uplifting families, thank you for letting us be a part of your lives. We love watching you grow, you truly inspire us to give our best each and every day. Thank you to our supporters, who are helping us to change the way the world views Down syndrome. And Nancy Gianni and GiGi for having a vision and working countless hours to bring joy, hope, happiness, and confidence to countless individual and their families each and every day. We are so grateful for each and every one of you!