LANCASTER, Pa. — GiGi's Playhouse Lancaster hosted its first-ever GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge 5K, 1-mile walk, and "Dash for Down Syndrome" event on Sunday at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Program participants, families, volunteers, and supporters of the organization gathered at the stadium to raise money and awareness for Down syndrome. Over 100 runners and 33 teams raised over $44,000 for the event.
The day began with a 5K run and a 1-mile walk. Following these events, kids from the program had the opportunity to run around the bases. Some of the participants have recently taken their first steps.
"Our kiddos typically have low muscle tone," Program Coordinator Alisha Fitzwater said. "They work really hard on crawling, walking, running, so we're really celebrating each of them. Some of them, they just learned to walk recently, and they've worked on it for about two years so, we really could celebrate them running to home base today."
After the dash, all of the teams in attendance participated in an inspirational walk around the field to celebrate the thousands of dollars they raised.
The challenge is a way of uniting all people, despite diversity, through exposure and interaction. The organization aims to change the way the world views Down syndrome.
According to the GiGi's Playhouse website, "People with disabilities are often segregated from their peers starting at an early age, and as life goes on, it tends to form a disconnect between those with disabilities and those without."
There are 60 playhouses in both the United States and Mexico, which are coming together to host in-person events across the globe. GiGi's Playhouse has raised 72% of their $2 million overall goal.