6th Annual ‘i have a Voice’ Gala!

Another amazing ‘i have a Voice’ Gala event has come and gone for the Southern Tier GiGi’s Playhouse! Every year we are truly blown away and amazed by the impact one evening can have on our non-profit that provides 100% free programs for all ages for the Down syndrome community. This year was our largest ticketed event that raised the most funds in our local Playhouse’s history! Thanks to the amazing support of our event donors, we raised over 104k and collected over 6k through inkind donations!

Our evening began with cocktail hour and live music by the talented Matt Beach! Our guests enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres while participating in our raffle baskets, and wine and gift card pull. The main program was kicked off by our very own ‘Signing with the Stars’ group, who signed to the beautiful song, ‘There’s a Place For us‘. A wonderful reminder that everyone has a place in the world! Following the performance, our Event Coordinator, Jeannie Post, gave the first speech of the evening welcoming our guests and explaining what the evening would look like with our live and silent auction! Site Manager, Katie Whaley, followed next thanking our event sponsors and all who made the evening possible.

For our 2024 event, we dedicated to create an annual award to present to a family, donor, or volunteer who exemplified what it means to be ‘GenerationG’. Being ‘GenerationG’ means advocating for acceptance and inclusion, being a beacon of hope for those pushed to the margins, and overall being generous, accepting, and kind! This year’s first annual award was presented to the Calleo family, who through their Woolx Merino clothing brand has shown the world that people with Down syndrome deserve acceptance and has generously supported our Playhouse for years.

Our next speaker was Playhouse Participant, Emilee, and her mother, Elizabeth. Emilee was able to share her favorite things about attending programs at GiGi’s Playhouse, and Elizabeth piggy backed and shared how much of an impact GiGi’s has had on their family. We are so proud of Emilee getting on stage and speaking to our over 400 guests!

Following Emilee, we played our specially made gala video. Produced by Manna Media, this video shows the different faces of our Playhouse and the impact our 100% free programs have had in their lives! To close out our program, we had Grandstand Sports & Memorabilia host a live trip auction and a fund-the-need paddle raise! Between the two events, you all helped raise over 70k!! The energy in the room was magical during the paddle raise. It was overwhelming to see so many give to GiGi’s Playhouse in a matter of minutes!

The night ended with DJ’ing, provided by Engaged Entertainment, and lots of dancing! It was a night of looking back at the achievements our Playhouse hit from 2024 and ensuring that we can continue to provide FREE programs and resources through the next year! Thank you to all who attended our gala event- we can’t wait for next year!