The Team Approach | Why We Run.

Why We Run

Hello, everyone! On behalf of the Chicago Playhouse Board, we are delighted to be participating and fundraising as a team for this year’s 5K. My grandmother always used to say, “Many hands make light work.” I can think of no better and more meaningful phrase to describe the efforts of the Chicagoland playhouses in preparing for this year’s 5K and Fun Run (the Chicagoland cohort rocks!), and also the efforts of the Board on which I serve as Vice President. Our playhouse could not run without the many, many hands of our Board members, our small but mighty staff, our parents, our volunteers, our participants, and our donors. All of these hands making light work are Why We Run.

Who is your inspiration? My inspiration for running is all of our Chicago playhouse parents. They are the cheerleaders, the chauffeurs, the helpers, the planners, the backbone and so much more for every individual who benefits from our programs. If our participants are the heart of the Chicago playhouse, our parents are the lungs. They are some of the hardest-working, most caring, and most resilient folks I’ve had the chance to know since serving and volunteering with GiGi’s. It’s easy to watch and be inspired by all of the kids learning and playing together on any given day in our playhouse, but the relationships built within the parent network are what keeps everyone coming back, week after week and year after year, to be the support and the many hands our playhouse relies on.

How has this group changed/impacted your life?

The parents of our playhouse are invaluable to our Board. They let us know what is working and what isn’t; they enthusiastically volunteer for every event large and small; they show up. Without them showing up, we would have no playhouse to manage! At events, I watch the parents watching their children–the sheer joy on their faces, seeing their babies and toddlers and grade schoolers and teenagers thrive, smile, and enjoying themselves with others–it has made me a more motivated and intuitive volunteer and board member.

What does GiGi’s mean to you & your family?

There are hundreds, thousands even, of nonprofit organizations within the Chicago borders. But there is something special about GiGi’s, about the constituents we serve, the families we help, the friends I’ve made, and the people I work with that has influenced just why GiGi’s is the place I’ve committed my heart to. I get to see the people who benefit from our work. I get to snuggle the babies. (Oh my gosh, the adorable babies!) I get to laugh with the parents. I get to watch and be a part of the purposeful progression happening daily on Lincoln Ave. As many could tell you, it is easy to fall in love with GiGi’s Playhouse. Serving on the board of GiGi’s Chicago has deepened my well of empathy, has made me a better listener, a more patient teammate, and has shown me what community really means. I am humbled that I can help make decisions for a place that is a second home to so many.

Why is GiGi’s Playhouse valuable to the entire community?

I am proud to be a part of the GiGi’s Playhouse community which fosters growth, inclusiveness, and awareness. GiGi’s adds immeasurable value to the Chicago community, but our Chicago community is what has shaped and added value to our mission. Chicagoans are tough, we are gritty, we have big ideas, big personalities, and big dreams. Step inside GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago and you will find these characteristics in each and every person involved. GiGi’s Playhouse breeds better learners, better parents, better volunteers, and better people. It can’t get any better than that! #generationG ~ Michelle Maurer, GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago, Vice President

Join us for our Annual 5K Fun Run & Walk on June 10, 2018, at Parkway Bank Park in Rosemont, IL. The event is truly a celebration of our courageous individuals making every step count and ask that you consider supporting this family-fun event as a participant, donor, or sponsor.  We anticipate more than 2,000 participants with supporters coming from our Chicago, Deerfield, Hoffman Estates, and McHenry Playhouses! Click HERE to learn more, there is still time!