MOLINE, ILLINOIS (November 19, 2019) — GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers announced 8 prestigious awards at its Annual International Leadership Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois on Saturday, November 9. Over 350 people from 60 GiGi’s Playhouse locations from around the country and Mexico gathered at the five-day conference, which boasted 91 break-outs and 67 speakers. The awards ceremony is a much-anticipated event where top playhouses, volunteers, and staff are honored for their selfless service to their communities. The “Generation G” award is given to a person or Playhouse that is simply extraordinary and demonstrates the Generation G motto: Be accepting, be generous, be kind, in everything that they do. Heather Malli was honored with this award because her life and career demonstrate acceptance as she has shared her skills with grace and humility.
“Working as a volunteer in the Quad Cities Playhouse, Heather was the brains behind what has now become GiGi’s most popular and successful group program across our entire Network — Language, Music, ‘N Our Peeps (LMNOP),” reports the GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc National office. “Unlike any other program, LMNOP has been rolled out in ALL 46 locations. Since its inception, LMNOP has logged nearly 36,000 total program participation hours across the country, now touching nearly ever baby across our entire GiGi’s Playhouse Network!”
Other Playhouses receiving awards at the 2019 International Conference included Buffalo, New York, Fargo, North Dakota, Cleveland, Ohio, Phoenix, Arizona, and Rochester New York. In total, GiGi’s Playhouse currently operates 46 Playhouses worldwide with 14 startup locations and inquiries to open 200 more worldwide.
Members of the community are invited to visit the Quad Cities Playhouse and inquire about ways in which they can help support individuals with Down syndrome. GiGi’s Playhouse offers over 30 different group, one-on-one, and career-development programs at no charge to individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Distinct locations, programs designed for the learning styles of children and adults with Down syndrome, and an unwavering commitment to positive belief are some of the many qualities that set GiGi’s Playhouse apart as a truly distinct nonprofit organization.
