August 2025 Best of All

The highlights below are just a few of the #bestofall moments we witnessed during August.

Participant & Program Best of All

The Teen Talk crew had an amazing time learning and practicing phone conversations at the last meeting.  These participants called restaurants and practiced asking appropriate questions with good speech skills. Participants were actually calling the son of the leader, Maryann, who had set up the task with her son before gathering. Participants asked great questions, were able to adjust their questions in the moment when, “whoops, wrong number!” happened. There was a lot of laughter in addition to the learning. In case you are wondering, Burger King does not sell Frostys, just ask Michelle, who then was able to adjust and ask if they sold any kind of shakes.

👉🏻Group Speech for Teens takes place once a month on the 4th Monday of the month at 5:30 pm and is led Ms. Maryann, who is a certified Speech & Language Pathologist.

🌟Speech & Language Group facilitates newly developed communication skills, providing a more natural communication between peers. Participants aged 13-17 years old practice new skills through informal interaction with other members of the group, with the guidance of a program leader. Visit the calendar to register for the next date!

Volunteer Spotlight

Kathy and Kris were back together to lead Art Explosion for our teens and adults! This dynamic duo makes a great team, and the participants love creating with them. In September, they’ll return to guide our school-age group in another exciting art session. Did you know that Kathy is a retired teacher and Kris is currently an art teacher in a private school? They both bring a wealth of knowledge to our playhouse, and we appreciate them and their talents! Most of the artwork from these Art Explosion programs will be proudly displayed during our Art Show in February 2026!

Art Explosion provides hands-on experience with multiple art media and an outlet for individuals with Down syndrome to express themselves, build confidence, and socialize with peers.

Playhouse Inspiration

🌴⛳ Another Charity Golf Outing in the Books! ⛳🌴

The Parrot Head Charity Golf Outing on August 23rd was a huge success – completely sold out! The weather couldn’t have been better, and the day was filled with fun and laughter.

A highlight of the event was the golf cart decorating contest, judged with the help of our participant Gavin. One of our GiGi’s families not only took home the decorating prize but also placed 2nd overall in the tournament – congratulations to the Yaklich crew (and their brother-in-law)! 🎉

The celebration continued into the evening with a laid-back after party, featuring live music on the patio and some fantastic raffle items.

A heartfelt thank you to the Quad Cities Parrot Head Club for choosing GiGi’s as the beneficiary of this year’s outing. Your generosity helps us continue to spread acceptance, support, and joy throughout our community. Also, thank you to the families who came out to golf or listen to music in support of the event. We appreciate you too!

YOU can submit your Best of All stories and moments too!

Staff typically choose these stories, but we’d love to hear from you, too! If you see or hear something worth highlighting, please let us know!

309-762-7529 or email quadcities@gigisplayhouse.org

#bestofall