GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge 2024!

GiGi’s Playhouse Southern Tier held it’s 3rd Annual GiGiFit Acceptance Challenge 5k competitive run and 1-Mile fun run/walk on May 18th! This year’s event was the largest event we’ve hosted in our 5 years of being open! We welcomed over 400 runners, walkers, and volunteers on the rainy spring morning to MOVE for acceptance.

The rainy event day began at 8am for the competitive runners to pick up their racer packets and get warmed up before the race began just after 9am! The first runner crossed the finish line in just 16 minutes and 33 seconds! Wait to go Steve Esposito! This year we not only welcomed back returning runners who have supported us over the last 3 years of GFAC’s, but also welcomed the 37 Broome County Sheriff’s officers and cadets for our 5k race! (Read more HERE!) This year more than ever, the presence of our local community was felt within our event.

The 5k race led into an awards ceremony for the runners, and then into a lively Zumba dance party to warm up our walkers! Our high energy Zumba leader, Cass Blass, kept everyone feeling warm despite the rain! Following Zumba, our walkers made their way to the starting line and were off with a bang!

This year, we had 30 teams created by our Playhouse families and supporters. Having our Playhouse families make teams in honor of their loved ones allowed for them to help with fundraising for our event and let us celebrate each team! Here is a complete list of each of our teams! We LOVE seeing our families support the Playhouse. With the help of these 30 amazing teams, they were able to raise over $22,000! As each team crossed the finish line of the 1-Mile walk, we were able to congratulate them and award each Playhouse Participant’ and child with a special medal.

We also had family fun activities for those brave enough to stay and hangout under tents in the rain! The Andrea Brown real-estate team hosted face painting, Super Cooper Save the Day brought water beads, and we also had a bubble and playdoh station!

For our 2024 GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge, the Playhouse raised a total of…. $72,000 with the help of our families, walkers, runners, and our National sponsor, Woolx Merino who generously donated $50,000! This event would not have come together without our event committee, sponsors, donors, and our day of volunteers. We already can’t wait until the 2025 GFAC event!