
FREE PROGRAMS
61 LOCATIONS
GLOBAL ACCEPTANCE
A Word from the Chief Belief Officer - Nancy Gianni

Hello GiGi’s Change Makers!
When I opened the first GiGi’s Playhouse 21 years ago, I never dreamt I would be here today to tell you that our Virtual Playhouse one-on-one tutoring program is serving families across 6 continents, that we just opened our 61st GiGi’s Playhouse location, or that 21 years later, we still give everything away for FREE! Every consultant said it could not be done, but thanks to all of you, we did it!! What’s the moral of the story? DREAM BIG!!
I dream big, not just for GiGi or GiGi’s, but for every individual with Down syndrome. I want everyone to see them the way that I do! I want to give them all the tools they need to succeed at school, at work, and in life! In the next year, you will be seeing a lot of amazing changes at GiGi’s. Every month I will release more and more of our strategic plan to accomplish all of this and continue changing lives!
As you know, 21 is a sacred number in the Down syndrome community, so to celebrate 21 years of GiGi’s Playhouse during Down Syndrome Awareness Month is extra special!
Please read about all the amazing things that are happening across our 61+ Playhouses in this Down Syndrome Awareness Month newsletter:
- How Awareness Leads to Acceptance
- Issue 2 of #GenerationG Magazine Out Now!
- Oregon gets its First Playhouse
- Coffee, Community, Careers: GiGi’s is Changing the Employment Landscape
- All 61 of GiGi’s Playhouses work with their communities for DSAM!
- From Kickball to Genuine Connection
- Buddy Walk Supports GiGi’s
As we continue past Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I’m so grateful to all of you for helping us change the world!
XOXO
Nancy and GiGi

Down Syndrome Awareness Month: How Awareness Leads to Acceptance
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month (DSAM), but GiGi’s serves the Down syndrome community all year long!
Please consider coming along this October and offering support. Your gift, no matter how small or large, allows us to continue our FREE programming, facilitate understanding, and foster a more ACCEPTING world!
More than a Magazine: Issue 2 of #GenerationG Out Now!

Waiting rooms. Airport terminals. Long checkout lines. To many of us, magazines provide entertainment when we’re trying to kill time, but magazines offer more than escapism; they offer representation. At GiGi’s Playhouse, representation is more than a trendy buzzword; it’s central to our mission – to change how the world views Down syndrome, we must ensure the world has MORE exposure to Down syndrome.
That’s why, as part of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we released our second issue of #GenerationG magazine! #GenerationG magazine challenges readers’ worldviews by showcasing the power of Down syndrome and other disabilities. With stories highlighting fitness influencers, TV stars, endurance athletes, and more, #GenerationG magazine focuses on how capable the disability community is, a perspective seldom represented!
Or order hard copies for your local doctor, dentist, or school here!
Oregon gets its First Playhouse as GiGi’s Open our 61st Playhouse!
GiGi’s kicked off Down Syndrome Awareness Month early with the Grand Opening for our Portland Playhouse! Officially our 61st Playhouse to open its doors, people far and wide came out to celebrate the first GiGi’s in Oregon!
Portland’s Grand Opening caps an exciting year of expansion for GiGi’s. Earlier this year, we opened our 59th Playhouse in Las Vegas and our landmark 60th location in Simi Valley, CA. Beyond this, 2024 saw us launch our new ‘beta’ platform for our Virtual Playhouse, allowing us to expand our reach and continue changing lives near and far!
Though Portland is our last opening of 2024, there’s still an incredible need for GiGi’s! More communities need brick-and-mortar Playhouses; more families need our FREE programming, and conversely, we need more supporters and volunteers to make it all possible. That’s why we’re not slowing down any time soon! As 2025 approaches, GiGi’s Playhouse is committed to meeting the demand and growing even more!
Coffee, Community, Careers: GiGi’s is Changing the Employment Landscape
Nearly of individuals with disabilities are unemployed.
In addition to celebrating Down syndrome, this Down Syndrome Awareness Month, GiGi’s is shining a light on the community’s obstacles, with this shockingly low employment rate being one of the biggest obstacles.
But GiGi’s goes beyond highlighting issues; we actively work to fix them! In addition to offering FREE career development programs, a few of our Playhouses go a step further. Our Fort Wayne, Phoenix, and National/Hoffman Estates Playhouses all run their own business! Whether they’re serving coffee or smoothies, these businesses help our adult participants hone essential job skills and gain invaluable experience, helping them secure long-term employment.
Yet, these businesses don’t just benefit the Down syndrome community; they benefit EVERYONE! Read how these businesses are changing their communities here!

In partnership with Wintrust Financial, GiGi’s Playhouse has featured placement on a digital billboard on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago, IL, all October long!
Look the part! Pick up some inclusive GiGi's and #GenerationG merch so you can represent acceptance for Down Syndrome Awareness Month and beyond!

GiGi's Playhouse Inc now has an Instagram account in Spanish! Click here to follow us on Instagram!
¡GiGi's Playhouse Inc ya tiene una cuenta de Instagram en español! ¡Haz clic aquí para seguirnos!

Beyond our walls – GiGi’s 61 Playhouses step out into their communities for DSAM!
At GiGi’s, we’re big into numbers. With the addition of our Portland Playhouse, our network now encompasses more than 61 Playhouses! This number represents more than brick-and-mortar locations; it represents 61 communities GiGi’s is a part of!
This Down Syndrome Awareness Month (DSAM), our Playhouses are stepping into these communities, partnering with local businesses, and raising awareness! Whether they’re our Chicago Playhouse partnering with a movie theater chain, our Cincinnati, Rockford, and El Paso Playhouses working with local restaurants, our Quad Cities Playhouse throwing a party with local food trucks, or our Cleveland Playhouse collaborating with a coffee shop to release a “GiGi’s Oatmeal Cookie Latte”, GiGi’s is creating noise across so many different communities!
Though these events are great fundraising opportunities, they also help people outside our community gain a baseline awareness of Down syndrome. It’s through wide-spread awareness, exposure, and understanding that our network of 61+ Playhouses will continue changing the world this October and beyond!
From Kickball to Genuine Connection

Sometimes, everything in life feels transactional: every encounter, every conversation, every relationship. In a world driven by exchanges, we often overlook the value of human connection, but volunteering at GiGi’s builds genuine relationships.
GiGi’s Playhouse Orange County is a testament to this. Over the past year, a genuine bond has formed between a local high school’s volunteers and Orange County’s participants. Initially, the JSerra High School varsity boys' water polo team hosted kickball games for our Orange County TeenTastic participants, but as time went on, the relationship evolved. As a result, JSerra’s varsity water polo team invited Orange County’s TeenTastic participants to their game as honored guests last month, culminating in a fun dinner with the team. What started as a simple kickball game led to meaningful friendships!
Craving connection? Volunteer at GiGi’s! When you step inside our Playhouses, you’ll form friendships, bonds, and genuine connections. Learn about volunteer opportunities here.
Buddy Walk Supports GiGi's
This past weekend, the Chicagoland Buddy Walk had its 1-mile walk to support multiple Down syndrome organizations, including GiGi’s Playhouse! But the Buddy Walk is more than a fundraiser; it provides an opportunity for organizations across the Down syndrome community to come together! Families from our Chicagoland Playhouses came out and met more amazing families in the community!
Click here to learn more about the Buddy Walk!


Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the destructive storms this past month. As we wish everyone the best, we’d like to remind our families that our Virtual Playhouse is here, especially when inclement weather or other obstacles to in-person programming happen. Access our Virtual Playhouse platform here!

Thank you Nancy, staff and volunteers
For all you do or have done for .me and my family. You kepy going strong through sick care and covid. Thanks
Ashley Jones and family