A Letter From Benny

To My Dear GiGi’s Playhouse NYC Community,

As many of you have heard, I will be leaving my role as the Programs Director at GiGi’s Playhouse NYC next month after four and a half years. While I am excited for my next chapter, this community will always have a special place in my heart and I will greatly miss working with the amazing individuals, families and volunteers at the Playhouse.

I am so incredibly proud of the growth I have seen in the organization and our participants. This community is thriving and its future is very bright.

One of the first things people ask me when they discover my passion for the Down syndrome community is, “Do you have a personal connection—is there someone with Down syndrome in your family?”

I didn’t grow up with a family member with Down syndrome, but now I am lucky to have hundreds of people with Down syndrome in my extended family.

When I was 16 years old, I volunteered for the first time with the Down syndrome community. I was partnered with a young man around my age with Down syndrome named Mickey, who told me something so simple, yet so powerful to my young self. He told me, ‘’It’s not our disabilities, but our abilities that matter.” When I heard these words, and experienced the open hearts of those in the Down syndrome community, something clicked for me and these words have guided me ever since.

Over a decade later, I feel beyond lucky to have been able to continue to serve the Down syndrome community through my work with GiGi’s Playhouse NYC. I know my 16-year-old self would be proud.

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we use the motto “Best of All’’ as a way of measuring success differently for our participants. “Best of All’’ is a celebration of our accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. It means striving to be better today than you were yesterday. Every day at GiGi’s I have seen this in action as our participants work hard to learn new skills. Over the years, our participants have grown up before my eyes, one day at a time.

Similarly, I have had the opportunity to become my “Best of All”. I will always be grateful for the opportunities and mentorship I’ve received while at the Playhouse. I have learned so much that I will carry with me the rest of my career.

I want to thank Tracy Nixon and Debbie Morris for having the vision and drive to bring GiGi’s Playhouse to NYC. It is so important to have a space like this for families to come together, share experiences, celebrate the differences in our communities and give our participants a chance to learn and grow together. I also want to thank the dedicated people who make GiGi’s Playhouse NYC what it is, our volunteers, staff and board of directors. I am confident in the future of the Playhouse because of all of you. The best is yet to come!

To all the families: I will miss being a weekly part of your life and seeing your kids grow up. I want you to always remember that GiGi’s is a place that is made for families by families. You are the secret sauce that makes this place special. Thank you for believing in us, and for allowing me to be part of this amazing place.

To my whole GiGi’s family: Thank you, I miss you already, you haven’t seen the last of me!

With Love,

Benny