By Jennifer Lankford
GiGi’s Playhouse is feeling more than “at home” in its new permanent location on Walker Street in downtown Cary, adjacent to the Downtown Cary Park. GiGi’s Playhouse originally opened in 2016 in Raleigh. The short move to Cary in 2023 provided GiGi’s with both a larger space and the opportunity to design it to fit the needs of more than 1,200 registered participants.
The vision of GiGi’s Playhouse, as stated on their website, is: “To see a world where individuals with Down syndrome are accepted and embraced in their families, schools, and communities. GiGi’s accomplishes this by offering free educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. GiGi’s Playhouse is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, solely funded by local grants and donations, that serves individuals of all ages, from prenatal to adulthood.
The original GiGi’s Playhouse was founded in 2003 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, by Nancy Gianni following the birth of her daughter, GiGi, who has Down syndrome. Jeanhee Hoffman then brought GiGi’s Playhouse to Raleigh, an act inspired by her determination to enrich the life of her brother.
Locally, Dana Ramsey joined GiGi’s Playhouse as the new executive director in 2025, and she is appreciative of the history this GiGi’s Playhouse provides the people who attend its free, purposeful programs each month. “So much love has been poured into this playhouse. “We’re now a genuinely accepted and visible part of the community, and this has elevated everybody and their sense of ownership in what we do here,” Ramsey explained.
She added that this central location allows participants to see what is going on around town and also to be seen as contributing members of the community. The fitness room in the playhouse, for example, is literally a glass room overlooking the Downtown Cary Park District.
For the last three years, GiGi’s Playhouse in Cary has been a Center of Excellence. Of the 62-plus GiGi’s Playhouses in the country, only two have that award. They have also won many other awards, and this year, they are proud to have the most programming hours of any GiGi’s Playhouse in the nation. Ramsey said they continue to increase both programming and participation hours because their goal is to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of families. She added that this GiGi’s has grown its programming hours by 64% since relocating.
Shelly Toro, mother to 15-year-old daughter Mia, also loves the new location. After adopting Mia, who has Down syndrome, at age 2 and a half, Toro started bringing her daughter to GiGi’s Playhouse a year later. She said it has been a positive experience for her entire family, and she describes the programs as “next level.”
In addition to being a parent, Toro has also served on the GiGi’s Playhouse board for two years. She decided to serve on the board during the move from the smaller space in Raleigh to the much larger building in Cary. “I wanted to be part of making the new place feel welcoming and remain intimate,” she explained. “In the new, larger space, there are multiple programs going on at one time, and I didn’t want to lose that personal feeling that keeps people coming back. That matters,” Toro added.
When Toro first started bringing Mia to GiGi’s, she appreciated connecting with other parents – many of whom served as mentors to her. Now that Mia is a teenager, Toro appreciates that GiGi’s Playhouse has grown with Mia. She said that she has also seen the number of adult participants increase. “GiGi’s is a home to [Mia],” Toro said. “And we do everything with them. Having peers similar in age doing the same things you’re doing — who look like you, talk like you, etc. — is so important.” She added that they are part of a homeschool that meets at GiGi’s once a month, which is parent-led on a rotating basis, so every parent gets a break and has an opportunity to lead. The group also goes on monthly field trips together.
Toro teaches a teen fitness class every other week for GiGi’s, noting that the staff is incredible and “…goes above and beyond to exceed expectations for participants.” Toro added that through the years, multiple interns in the GiGi’s internship program have applied to be staff. “Several [interns] have stayed to be part of our staff, and that speaks volumes,” she said.
The entire Toro family, including Mia’s two older brothers, has volunteered at GiGi’s. She said both finding and scheduling volunteers for the playhouse is important because it is 95% volunteer-run.
One role volunteers fill is to connect with families through the local Down syndrome clinics at UNC and Duke. This allows GiGi’s Playhouse to serve as support beyond clinical care for new families. By bridging medical care with practical family support, they can help families navigate available services. Toro said this service is an important way to let parents know from the beginning that they are not walking alone. “Congratulations should be the first thing they hear because they’re about to embark on an incredible journey. That baby is going to change their world in amazing ways.”
Toro is a huge fan of the new executive director for GiGi’s. “The amount that [Ramsey] has done has been remarkable – you can see and feel growth,” Toro said. “From a parent perspective, it is wonderful to know there is a place that our daughter can go and not just learn but have fun and build meaningful relationships. Seeing the programs running for adults is breathtaking. It is so comforting that there is so much in the future for Mia — not just at GiGi’s, but in the community.”
Michelle Schwab is the mother of 28-year-old GiGi’s participant, Matthew. Now an adult, Matthew is an international public speaker and is engaged to be married to Lucia, another participant in GiGi’s program. Schwab said they did not know Matthew had Down syndrome before he was born in 1997. The family had just moved to NC and did not have a big support system. Thankfully, Schwab met other moms, and together they formed the Triangle Down Syndrome Network in 1998.
In 2015, Schwab’s friend Maria Romano reached out to her about GiGi’s Playhouse coming to Raleigh. Schwab said she was familiar with the organization from conferences she had attended. So, Romano and Schwab were part of the start-up team of GiGi’s parents in 2016.
“When Matthew was born, there was literally nowhere to go,” Schwab said. “Wherever I went, I always felt I had to explain why my kid wasn’t like every other kid.” She added that safety was also a worry because Matthew didn’t walk until he was over two years old, and regular playgrounds and classrooms weren’t for everyone.
“When we had our first program day at GiGi’s opening, the parents just poured in the door. It was at capacity, and it was just beautiful,” Schwab remembered. “All the parents who had nowhere to go had somewhere to go with their kids. And the parents also connected that day.”
Schwab said seeing adult participants come to the playhouse has been monumental. “I realized then that we were doing what we were supposed to be doing,” Schwab said. She explained that once kids graduate from high school, there is very little available for them to do. “GiGi’s provides social connections and a place to keep learning.”
Schwab’s son Matthew now travels the world to speak about the importance of including individuals with Down syndrome in the workforce. He uses his Instagram platform, @matthewschwabspeaks, to host motivational Monday posts.
Schwab is very impressed with the growth she has seen since relocating to the Cary location. “The fact that we’re in downtown Cary is amazing,” she said. “It is much more than we expected — the parents feel their kids are valued because of the new, beautiful location.”
Ramsey says the most common need that GiGi’s fills for its participants of all ages is providing a sense of community. “People are taking their first steps here, they’re deciding on their first jobs here, and everything in between,” she said. And she is amazed by how many friendships are formed along the way.
The new Cary location offers many areas where a sense of community can be built. The open main room and one-on-one rooms are used for classes on topics like speech, literacy, math, and language. The GiGi U Program’s job skills training classes are also a big part of what happens in this space.
The fitness room stays busy with core strength, ballet, yoga, cheer camps, and music classes. Ramsey pointed out that GiGi’s has lots of instruments for participants to use. She added that fitness classes are extremely important for GiGi’s participants. “Fitness and core strength are especially important for individuals with Down syndrome,” she explained, “because they build stability, coordination, and endurance needed for lifelong health, independence, and full participation in daily activities. Building confidence can open up opportunities.”
The kitchen, complete with a washer and dryer, is used for cooking classes and life skills training. Ramsey said GiGi’s strives to provide participants with confidence and security as they learn new life skills.
GiGi’s also has a studio with easels for art classes. This space houses the GiGi’s Studio Program, an artist-in-residence program designed to teach participants the studio art process and help them tap into their creative potential.
The majority of the lead instructors at GiGi’s are interns from local universities, licensed therapists, or volunteer specialists. Ramsey said GiGi’s has been fortunate to have local cooks and artists volunteer to lead programs. She is also grateful for local grants that have allowed them to bring in speech, occupational, art, and horticulture therapists. “We strive to have a balance of licensed therapists and volunteers,” Ramsey explained. She is thankful for all of the partners that collaborate with GiGi’s to make their programs a success.
This year, GiGi’s will start a venture called GiGi’s Blooms. Ramsey said the endeavor offers learning opportunities in supply chain, quality control, maintenance, customer service, and sales to adult participants who want to engage in community workforce experiences. The GiGi’s Blooms staff and volunteers will bring their rustic wooden flower cart to business lobbies, private and civic events, and partner locations. In addition to sharing flowers, this will allow participants to spread the word about all they are doing at GiGi’s Playhouse. GiGi’s Blooms’ first recurring customer is the Dairy Queen on Walnut Street in Cary.
Several GiGi’s participants already have jobs at local businesses, such as Shake Shack, Holy Grounds at Cardinal Gibbons High School, The Mayton Inn, and Glenaire Retirement Community. GiGi’s volunteers have organized a group to serve as job coaches who will support these working participants. This program propels participants to transition from GiGi U into the GiGi Professional Program through either internships or paid positions.
“Now we have people nurturing those relationships, helping people get connected to those jobs, taking them to the interview, and working with employers and families to create adaptations as needed,” Ramsey explained. She added that several participants prefer to work at GiGi’s, and that provides a lot of support to the organization. Two participants enjoy making cards for GiGi’s family birthdays or to send as donation acknowledgments. They also serve as greeters when people enter GiGi’s Playhouse. Another participant enjoys cleaning inside GiGi’s. Ramsey said these individuals enjoy the sense of purpose and ownership these jobs provide.
GiGi’s Playhouse has a mission called Generation G. This year, a group of 20 high school students from eight different schools formed the Gen G board. Ramsey explained that this group takes a pledge to support and spread inclusion, kindness, and generosity among their peers. These students help run GiGi’s events, including the Snowball Dance, Halloween party, Spring Fling, and the 3/21 World Down Syndrome Day.
“It’s part of our mission because goodness spreads when kids get comfortable and then lead others toward supporting individuals with disabilities. And so, we’re also helping mentor potential leaders for future nonprofits and the inclusive business leaders of tomorrow,” Ramsey explained. She added that GiGi’s is often the first place that teen volunteers learn about working with individuals with disabilities, and they take that part of the mission very seriously.
GiGi’s Playhouse currently serves participants for their entire lives, starting before they are born. When a family receives a diagnosis, GiGi’s Playhouse hopes they will come in even before the baby is born, to become part of the community. Ramsey said the support that parents will feel early on can make some of the unknowns less scary. “There are so many unknowns,” she explained. “What is life going to be like? And you hear a lot about the risks, and there are some. Some babies born with Down syndrome may face early medical concerns related to heart and lung development. But it is just as important for parents to hear that their child’s life will also be filled with joy, growth, milestones, and countless wonderful moments as they learn, connect, and thrive.” Ramsey added that parents who become part of the GiGi’s community early get to see what individuals across all ages are capable of, and that can alleviate much anxiety about the future.
One of the programs for GiGi’s youngest participants helps babies and parents focus on things such as communication, language learning, core strength and balance, music, rhythm, and word recognition. Ramsey said this “LMNOP” Program teaches aspects covered in an early pre-K class in a way that works effectively for the GiGi’s community, and it is now offered in Spanish.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Ramsey said, their oldest participants are in the 50 to 60 age bracket. “We will grow and change with them because we are here to support them for their whole life. This is their place.” She added that the programs are constantly levelling up to keep people of all ages engaged and learning.
GiGi’s Playhouse offers professional learning for both parents of individuals with Down syndrome and for providers who work with participants, such as dentists, teachers, therapists, first responders, and many more. “We want to connect with those community resources and say we’ll hold hands with you. As soon as your work stops, we’ll start from there, so we’re excited about those relationships,” she explained.
According to Ramsey, many of the founding board members have a child or loved one with Down syndrome. She added that GiGi’s growth was born from the passion of its founding families. “Their whole heart has been in it, so the culture here is amazing,” she explained. “It’s the most heartfelt, real, authentic, purposeful culture I’ve ever been a part of.” She added that they are always looking for the next board member who will help GiGi’s grow.
Although GiGi’s primarily serves individuals with Down syndrome, Ramsey said many participants have a dual diagnosis, such as autism or other syndromes. “If someone comes in and says my kid would thrive in here or my young adult would thrive in here, we’re not going to turn that person away if this would be helpful for them,” she said.
Ramsey said GiGi’s Playhouse exists because the local community chooses to invest in it, through the time of dedicated volunteers and the financial generosity of individuals, businesses, grants, and foundations that believe in a more inclusive world.
“We could not do it without them,” she said.
For more information, contact raleigh@gigisplayhouse.org or call 919-307-3952.
