helping people without even knowing it! gigi’s playhousehelping people without even knowing it!...
TRANSCRIPT
Helping people without even knowing it!That means you guys! A big thank you toeveryone reading this newsletter. You maynot know it, but you are helping people every-day without even realizing it! New familiesand expectant parents visit the Playhouse allthe time and feel HOPE by simply seeingpictures of all of your beautiful kids and thepeople that support them. At a time in theirlives when they are being bombarded withnegatives they can come to the Playhouse andsee all the positives.We are doing this together, as a team, and I thought you all should knowhow much your presence has helped so many people. We had another ex-pectant mother in just last week. She came in with her husband, and 2year old son. They had just received the news that their unborn child hadDown syndrome. The reaction from some of her doctors had her petri-fied! She was a nurse (which scared her even more) and still knew nothingabout what this child would do to her life. (Down syndrome was strictlytext book to her).After visiting the Playhouse she said she felt Easter had come early. Shewas resurrected! She saw the potential in kids with DS and couldn’t be-lieve how active the toddlers with Down syndrome were at the Playhousethat day. She wiped away the tears and left with a smile that day. As weall know, there will be more tears, but many of them will not be from fearor sadness but from sheer joy and pride. Thank you to everyone of you!!
Loving a child with Downsyndrome is contagious…Help us spread the love!!!
GiGi’s PlayhouseMay, 2006
Now with two locations!
We had visitors from as far away as Australia!!
These 3 baby girls made fast friends at theThursday playgroup! (Their mommy’s didtoo!!)
Participate in a study tohelp researchers learn
more about Downsyndrome!
The more we cooperatewith these studies themore they will do!Dr. Susan Daley, a pedi-atric ER physician fromChildren's MemorialHospital and mother to 8year old Kathleen withDown syndrome, will beconducting a study onindividuals with Downsyndrome. She needs tocollect urine samplesfrom both children withDown syndrome andtheir siblings.Your child's participationin the study may helpthem to better understandsome of the abnormali-ties in the metabolism inDown syndrome andhelp understand some ofthe more debilitatingaspects of this syndrome.There is no risk and nocost and all individualswill remain confidential.
She will be collectingthese samples:
Saturday, May 20Anytime between
9:00 am to 3:00 pmat GiGi’s Playhouse.
If you are interested inhelping out with thestudy please call thePlayhouse to RSVP andget more information.To read more about thestudy, a full proposal isavailable. Please e-mailGayle Gianopulos [email protected]
We had an on-line chat room pick GiGi’s Play-house as their meeting place! They had fami-lies from as far away as Austrailia!! Here isone mom’s email about her experience:“I wish I could properly convey to you, the range ofemotions I experienced as I walked into gigi's.....Ican't...I swear, my eyes are beginning to tear, as Ithink of it. We live in a small town in rural, south-ern, Missouri, and my Molly Kate, is one of a handfulof 'enhanced' children down here. There is no sup-port, there are no others, she is, uhm...an 'oddity'at best. That's why I got so involved online, ( DSsupport chat room) with these other mothers.Some of them even OLD like me! (we can share the experience of toddlers, diapers, as well asthe headaches of college siblings!!)...and the opportunity to meet one from Australia, was aMIRACLE in my book! To have a place to be....like yours, just blew me away...someplace, that wasnot someone's home...where the kids could run and play and pull all the books down, without evena raised eyebrow???? I never dreamed it possible! .I watched as one of our children, who isdoubly enhanced with DS AND autism...FLY around that place...touching, smiling, being SObusy...and LOVING every second of it...and was just totally blown away.THANK YOU ..THANKYOU...THANK YOU...not just for our day.....but for what you do! You never know, you may have'franchises' popping up all over the country now” WOW! What a great email!! See, you did it again! Look inside for more pictures!
Raising awarenessthrough the streets ofElmhurstWe would like to extend a HUGE“thank you” to the many familieswho walked with our float in theElmhurst St. Patrick’s Day Parade!We had families from both Play-houses spreading Down syndromeawareness and enjoying the day!A special “thank you” goes to Sharon, Laura, Dave, Dan, Shelly,Tom and West & Sons Towing, Inc.Please contact Laura May if you would like to be on the HoffmanEstates 4th of July parade committee which will begin planningin late May. E-mail her at [email protected] or callthe Playhouse!
Mid-America Tile PresentsThe 3rd Annual GiGi’s Playhouse
Down Syndrome Awareness 5k Fun Run/1 Mile Walk
Sunday June 11, 2006 @ 9 AMBusse Woods, Elk Grove Village
5K training goingstrong!!!
Participants young and old,rain or shine, early or late,
devoted runners are workinghard!! Imagine how proud
they’ll feel when they run the5k for the first time! ! It isnever too late to start! Ifyou are interested contact
the Playhouse!!!
The big kids hadtheir hunt in the parkwhile the little guyshad a special balloonfilled room for theireggs! We took pic-tures with the bunny,decorated cookiesand had a great time!
Registration forms areavailable online! Youalso have the option ofgetting pledges thisyear!!This will not only raisefunds but help spreadmore DS awareness!!!!
All proceeds benefitthe GiGi’s PlayhouseFree “Learn to Read”
Literacy Program.
Check out the new “21” on the GiGi’sPlayhouse Down Syndrome Awareness
Bracelets!We also offer Down syn-drome awareness neck-laces (that are beautiful!)and anklets too!! Chil-dren's sizes are also avail-able. Check them out atwww.gigisplayhouse.com
or call the Playhouse and place your order forMother’s Day or as an end of the school year gift forteachers, aides, therapist etc…Give them a gift they will love and help spreadsome Down syndrome awareness!!We have had some incredible stories of how peo-ples lives have been touched by the bracelets.Here is one mom’s story.
A woman ordered a bracelet in honor of her son whohad passed away some 40+ years ago. Back then peopledidn’t talk about disabilities. She is so happy and proudto finally be able to talk freely about her child withDown syndrome whenever someone comments on herbeautiful bracelet..
Our own Christine Maxwell isdoing the 5 k training!! This
year she is going to be runningto that finish line and getting a
high five instead of givingthem!!! You go GIRL!!
We couldn’t be more proud.Remember, there is one on onetraining for any individual to
train for the walk or run!Call for details!!
New Programs!!Both tumbling and cheerlead-ing started this month! If youmissed sign up or are still in-terested call the Playhouse!Also the new Hop, Skip and
Jumpers (ages 3-5) begins thismonth on the second Saturdayof the month (May 13th) from
11-12:30! FUN, FUN ,FUN!
We will be hosting aTown Hall Meeting
Sunday April 30that 4:00 p.m.
Pizza and refreshments will be served. We arelooking for anyone wanting to get involved with
GiGi's Playhouse!
Bring all your friends and family that said they wantto help. We are going to have opportunities for
everyone:from working with the kids
to decorating the playhouseto volunteering for the 5K
to planning a gala for GiGi's Playhouseand everything in between.
Bring your own ideas as well!
We want to hear from you and we want tohelp make GiGi's Playhouse your
playhouse too!!
Please come to hear more about it.We would love to see you there!
Loving a child with Down syndrome iscontagious...Help us spread the love!!
Our Hoffman Estates location is 3miles west of Woodfield in theBrandess Center next to SchaumburgToyota.
Nathan came all the way from Ohiofor the Easter Egg Hunt!! We also
had Grace from Wisconsin whoparticipated in the morning hunt
with the 2 and under group!!
GiGi’s Playhouse1069 West Golf RoadHoffman Estates, IL 60194Phone: 847-885-PLAYFax: 847-885-4901
E-mail: [email protected]
www.gigisplayhouse.comGiGi’s Playhouse tooPlainfield, IL 630-778-PLAY
Address label
The GiGi’s PlayhouseFREE “Learn to Read”
literacy programIt is never to early to startthinking about your plansfor the summer! If you are
not currently enrolled in ourliteracy program, but would
like summer tutoring ,please contact GiGi’s Play-house as soon as possible.We will design some fun
programs based on the agesof all who are interested.
Congratulations to JeniferVargas! She read the
names of all her classmatesin school by herself in front
of the whole class!
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAIDSCHAUMBURG, IL
PERMIT NO. 93
Gather y
our frien
ds and
family an
d help us ra
ise
some Down sy
ndrome
aware
ness!!
Sunday June, 11th at
9:00 am! I
t’s the
GiGi’s Play
house 3rd
Annual Down
Syndrome Awareness
5k Fun Run 1 Mile
Walk!
Calling all moms:You deserve some
pampering!
Pre-Mother’s Day“Pamper Mom”
Open HouseSunday, May 7th
from 10am to 1pm atGiGi’s PlayhouseJoin us to sample
aroma therapy items,try a facial mask, geta “tune-up” seated
massage, get advicefrom a professional
make up artist.Enjoy snacks and
beverages and muchmore!!
Hosted by ArbonneConsultants Amy
Dietrich Hernandez andJill May, both moms of
children with specialneeds.
For more informationplease call Amy at
847.494.6654 or sendan e-mail to:
They are back foran ENCORE!!!
Center Stage Perform-ing Troupe is comingto Gigi's Playhouse on:Saturday May 6from 2:00 - 4:00One of the groups inthe troupe includes agroup made up ofseven dancers withDown syndrome. Please come and givethem your sup-port!! The dancers willperform a 15 minuteshow and then a danceparty for everyone willfollow!!!We will make sundaesto help celebrate theday! Please join us forfood, fun, and dancing!
1069 West Golf RoadHoffman Estates, IL 60194