In life, nothing happens overnight. Before a significant achievement, milestone, or modicum of success can be reached, days, months, and even years of hard work and determination must be put in. Our newest Playhouse, GiGi’s Playhouse Portland is a testament to this idea. Opening on September 28, our Portland Playhouse will be welcomed into the…
Read MoreBeing a parent to a newborn is one of life’s greatest gifts. But it can also be daunting. While parents are overjoyed by the arrival of this amazing new life, they also want to know that their child will have a bright future. This concern is amplified for parents of newborns with Down syndrome, who…
Read MoreAt GiGi’s, our Playhouses are like sanctuaries. Inside our walls, we offer our participants and their families more than FREE programming – we offer love, support, and acceptance. Our 60+ Playhouses are safe havens for individuals with Down syndrome and their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, volunteers, and the entire community. The moment anyone steps through…
Read MoreIt started as a dream. Four years ago, three months into a global pandemic, Kirsten Riddick and Cara Armstrong, two mothers of children with Down syndrome, came together. Their idea was simple: create a social group for their children with Down syndrome, ideally close to their homes in Simi Valley, CA. What followed next is…
Read MoreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 12, 2024 (Simi Valley, CA) — It’s a ribbon cutting 21 years in the making. GiGi’s Playhouse, the only network of Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, is thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of its newest Playhouse in Simi Valley, CA, on Saturday, August 17. The Simi Valley Playhouse marks the landmark…
Read MoreIf you tuned into the Olympics on Sunday, you witnessed something that directly relates to the mission of GiGi’s Playhouse. …Yes, you read that right. Though we are Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, and we absolutely love the Special Olympics, the plight and obstacles individuals with Down syndrome face aren’t simply relegated to the Special Olympics…
Read MoreNervous glances. Long stares. Muffled laughter. When people with disabilities, especially those with Down syndrome, enter public spaces, they’re often greeted with a mixed reception. Whether it’s at a school, restaurant, or grocery store, many members of the neurotypical population aren’t used to seeing individuals with disabilities, and because of this, many people don’t…
Read MoreAt GiGi’s, our Playhouses offer purposeful, FREE programs that change our participants’ lives. We also offer programs designed to take our participants outside of our Playhouse walls and into their communities. These programs don’t just help our participants; they help community members with no ties to Down syndrome gain exposure, interact, and build meaningful relationships…
Read MoreLeaderboards Registration Sponsor Training Tracking Login Donate Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorship levels Gold Medal $50,000+ National Exclusive event naming rights! Recognized prominently as Exclusive Gold Medal sponsor on all GiGi’s locations and start-up websites (60), social media pages (60+), event t-shirt (20,000+), and direct email blasts…
Read MoreGiGi’s by the Numbers 16 Years Old (Opened in 2003) 48+ locations in the US & Mexico 12 more locations in the works!200 inquiries world-wide to open a new Playhouse 25,000+ families directly served 240 families join GiGi’s monthly35% annual growth in families served 18 million+ social media reach 220,000+ FREE Program hours annually 174,000+…
Read MoreChoose a location for your donation Donate to the National Mission to support all Playhouses Virtual Playhouse Arizona Phoenix Arkansas Little Rock California Orange County Sacramento San Diego Simi Valley* Colorado Colorado Springs* Denver Florida Fort Myers Miami Tampa Georgia Atlanta Illinois Chicago Deerfield Fox Valley Hoffman Estates McHenry County Quad Cities Rockford Tinley Park…
Read MoreMarch 13, 2020 Based on the latest information and guidance from the CDC and leading health officials, we have decided to suspend all programming, events and volunteer orientations at the GiGi’s Playhouse National Office in Hoffman Estates and in Playhouses across the country until further notice. Out of an abundance of caution because of potentially heightened risk…
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Read MoreExecutive Board Nancy Gianni: Founder and Chief Belief Officer Nancy Gianni is the Chief Belief Officer and founder of GiGi’s Playhouse, as well as a published author and public speaker. Nancy serves as the visionary leader behind GiGi’s Playhouse’s launch and dramatic growth; and perhaps in her most important role, being GiGi’s mom. Nancy is…
Read MoreDonate! Achieve, Believe, Celebrate & Donate! At GiGi’s Playhouse, we believe in challenging ourselves to be better every day and to be our Best of All! We are inspired each day by the families and participants we serve – they never give up or back down in the incredible ways they are changing the way the world…
Read MoreSpecialty Programs As our Playhouses grow, so do our program offerings. Each GiGi’s Playhouse is unique and offers a variety of FREE education and therapeutic-based programs to meet the needs of their families and their community. All Ages….recommended ages vary by Playhouse Art Explosion – Provides hands-on experience with multiple art media and provides an outlet for individuals…
Read MoreNewsletters May 2021 Newsletter May 17, 2021 To our GiGi’s Playhouse Family, With multiple cases of our kids being abused, disrespected and attacked last week, it made me reflect back on why we started GiGi’s, and ask “are we making a difference?” That is when I realized we have spent 17 years providing…
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