Return to in-person event after two years of COVID disruptions
GiGi’s Playhouse Indianapolis, a local Down syndrome achievement center, will play host to its annual “I Have a Voice” Gala on Saturday, Feb. 19. This year’s theme, “Reimagined!” is a nod to the two-year hiatus the in-person gala had to take due to COVID-19.
“The gala is our largest and most important fundraiser of the year,” said Executive Director Denisse Jensen. “It’s what allows us to provide therapeutic, educational and career development programs for free to 557 participants in Central Indiana. Due to the pandemic disruptions to our fundraising efforts, this year’s event is more critical than ever.”
The Gala’s fundraising goal is $90,000, which will help fund programs like literacy tutoring and language therapy, ballroom dancing and GiGi Fit – programs 22-year-old Grace Burke has benefited from personally. Burke, a Fishers resident, will serve as this year’s Adult Ambassador for the gala.
“I can’t wait to get out there and raise money for GiGi’s,” Burke boasted. “Come help us support the Playhouse!”
Alexis Smith, 12, will serve as this year’s Youth Ambassador. Her mother Kendra is one of the Playhouse’s founding board members and serves on the gala’s planning committee.
“Every GiGi’s participant has a voice, and the gala is a way to ensure their voices are heard,” Smith said. “This night is about spreading awareness, celebrating achievements, and promoting acceptance for people with Down syndrome.”
Registration for the Gala is live through Monday, Feb. 14 at gigisplayhouse.org/indianapolis/gala-indy. Festivities will include dinner, a silent auction, and live entertainment, including a performance by GiGi’s ballroom dancers.
Alexis Smith
Gigi’s 2022 Youth Ambassador
Alexis “Lexi” Smith loves to be on stage. The 12-year-old recently performed in her school’s production of Elf the Musical, Jr., but her next performance may be her most important yet. Lexi will serve as the Youth Ambassador for the “I Have a Voice” Gala benefitting GiGi’s Playhouse Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Photo provided
“I want to be a Broadway star,” Lexi recently said in a YouTube video. “Check out these jazz hands.”
“This kid lives to perform,” says Lexi’s mom, Kendra. “She’s very well spoken and always has a microphone in her hand. She’ll be right in her element.”
Kendra was also a founding board member of GiGi’s Playhouse Indianapolis. She recognized early that parents like herself could benefit from the support of other parents raising children with Down syndrome.
“When you first get that diagnosis, you do research and you read books and so much of the literature is bad news,” Kendra recalls. “That can be overwhelming, and you simply can’t do that to yourself. Parents of children with Down syndrome need to connect with others going through the same thing; to have a community to share advice and referrals and to allow their children to grow together.”
Seven years later, the Indianapolis Playhouse provides programming to more than 557 participants in Central Indiana.
“This has grown into something beyond what any of us could have imagined,” Kendra said. “The number of programs that we have, the number of families that we serve. We had no idea the need would be so large.”
Lexi has built an army of friends at GiGi’s by taking classes that help improve speech-language, social and motor skills. When she is not at GiGi’s or on stage, Lexi enjoys participating in the Best Buddies program at her school, posting videos to her YouTube channel, and hanging out with her two older brothers.