Mayor Kasim Reed Hosts Annual “i have a voice” Gala
GiGi’s Playhouse Event Drives
Awareness and Funding for Free Programs Serving Children with Down syndrome and their Families
ATLANTA – Jan. 10, 2013 – The third annual “i
have a voice” gala to benefit GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta, a
T21 (Down syndrome) free educational and therapeutic center in Midtown
Atlanta is Saturday, February 2, 2013, at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta.
With Mayor Reed serving as the
honorary host and WSB-TV’s anchor Justin Farmer returning as the emcee,
the evening is destined to provide guests an event filled with a new
view of the condition.
In 2012, “i have a voice” raised more than $215,000, which is used to fund the annual operating budget which provides
free therapy-styled classes, tutoring, support groups, monthly
speaker series and a vast referrals network. The results have been
life-altering for the 170 individuals and their families that
GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta has served this year. Why? Because
this educational and therapeutic wellspring of free programming means
that children born with T21 across the metropolitan Atlanta area can
grow up to lead a normal and independent
life.
The “i
have a voice” gala will highlight the great possibilities for children
with T21 thanks to early intervention. Guests will benefit from touching
stories and
case studies about how GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta has impacted families while viewing portraits of local children who attend the Playhouse.
VIP
guests will begin the night at a cocktail reception in the Georgian
Room at The Ritz hosted by Mayor Reed. A champagne welcome reception
follows where guests will have last minute chances
to purchase raffle tickets for one of three amazing prizes: dinner for
12 prepared in the winner’s home by the one and only
Kevin
Rathbun,
a trip for four to Ireland and more. Shay Mooney, an up-and-coming
professional singer-songwriter, will entice guests to dinner with his
musical talents on guitar,
while opera and classical singer Elisabeth Saliers will
open the gala’s dinner festivities, followed by The Mike Richardson
Band, who will wrap up the top-shelf evening with music to dance the
night away.
“T21 affects one out of every 691 babies born in the United States today,” said Adrienne Mulligan – president of
GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta. “But with every passing week, we
see kids achieving what their parents were told they never would. Early
intervention is working, and the future for these children to hold
normal, independent lives is NOW.
As kids with T21 begin to succeed on par with their peers, outdated
misconceptions are disappearing. Specific early intervention therapies
and tutoring programs are combatting the obstacles that T21 presents,
and giving our kids the tools to overcome them.”
Gala tickets may be purchased online at
http://gigisatlanta.com/. There are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact
GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta via (404) 872-PLAY (7529) for more information.
About
GiGi’s Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse is a 501-c3 nonprofit dedicated to
providing free programs and therapies to families and individuals who
have Down syndrome. With more than 25 different literacy programs,
muscle toning exercises, physical, occupational,
and speech therapies, family support and social events, GiGi’s
Playhouse is positioned to provide early and aggressive therapies to
babies born with Down syndrome that enable them to have a normal and
productive life.
For more information, visit http://gigisatlanta.com/
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For more information:
Elyse Hammett, APR
EOS Marketing & Communications – A Phase 3 Media Company
For
GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta
404.376.5563 (cell)
