Pictured is the Poirier family. Photo provided.
Pictured is the Pennington family. Photo provided.
Pictured is the outside of the Indianapolis location of Gigi’s Playhouse. Photo provided.
Pictured is the interior of Gigi’s Playhouse. Photo provided.
Pictured is the kitchen at Gigi’s playhouse. Photo provided.
Fundraising efforts are underway to bring GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center, to the Greater Cincinnati area. The services at the center are 100 percent free for families.
Milford resident Ann Poirier has spent years advocating for people with Down syndrome, and their families. Poirier’s daughter Alice Poirier, age three, has Down syndrome.
As part of Poirier’s advocacy work, she joined the start-up team to bring GiGi’s Playhouse to the Greater Cincinnati area.
There are more than 50 GiGi’s Playhouse locations across the United States, but none in Cincinnati. The nearest location is in Indianapolis, some 2.5 hours away.
That start-up team is led by Clermont County resident Amy Pennington, whose daughter Kennedy Pennington, age nine, has Down syndrome.
The fundraising campaign to bring GiGi’s Playhouse has started, and help from the public is needed, encouraged, and much appreciated.
The start-up team’s fundraising goal is $250,000 in cash and the value of in-kind donations.
“We need to raise the funds to secure a lease, the buildout, and the first year of operating costs,” Pennington explained.
The timeline to build the center is based on secured funding.
So far, $85,000 has been raised, and another $10,000 – $15,000 being raised in current outstanding fundraising projects, one of which is with Miami Valley Gaming collecting donated change when patrons cash out, Pennington shared.
The team’s goal is to reach the halfway point, or $125,000, by March. They aim to have the entire funding before the end of 2022 so that they can open the local Gigi’s playhouse within the next year.
Pennington explained why she’s inspired to bring Gigi’s Playhouse to the area. She said that when her daughter Kennedy Pennington was born, her family did not have many resources and learned there are very few resources in greater Cincinnati.
“We had difficulty connecting with other families as our child was the first person we met with Down syndrome; we were seeking to learn and experience more,” Pennington said in an email interview. “I learned about GiGi’s Playhouse through an internet search while looking for resources and just fell in love with the mission and appeared to be available not only for our baby but to support her entire lifetime.”
She added, “The programs were incredible and everyone in the family is included and welcomed.”
Pennington visited the Indianapolis location with her daughter, to participate in the programs, and the improvement that she saw in Kennedy Pennington was “incredible.” Nonetheless, driving the distance regularly was not reasonable long-term for Pennington, which got her thinking about bringing Gigi’s Playhouse to Cincinnati.
“Although it is not easier to start a nonprofit, the benefits were so needed in our area. We needed a place like GiGi’s that provided the quality programs they provide, 100 percent free for families, and that included the entire family,” she said.
Pennington shared that her daughter keeps her motivated.
“Her sheer determination every single day to never give up and continue to try even though it can be very hard. She deserves more and for someone to show her the same determination to open a world of opportunities for her,” Pennington said. “As I have gone through this process, I hear stories of more and more families who need something that GiGi’s Playhouse can provide. I am motivated to improve our community as a whole and to build acceptance and show the world that individuals with Down syndrome are valuable.”
Pennington further explained that Gigi’s Playhouse’s business model is set on being 99-percent volunteer-run, allowing more money to go to into the individuals they serve.
“It also encourages volunteers in our community to get involved and learn about diversity and inclusion through individuals with Down syndrome,” Pennington said. “There is so much I love about it that keeps me going. The fact that Kennedy is just as excited about GiGi’s than I am is the icing on the cake.”
For more information about Gig’s Playhouse, including ways to donate to the fundraising efforts, visit www.gigisplayhouse.org/cincinnati.