GiGi’s Playhouse opens its doors 18 months after fire

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Families across the F-M region flock to south Fargo for the grand re-opening of GiGi’s Playhouse.

North Dakota’s only Down Syndrome Achievement Center is officially rebuilt after a May 2021 set by an arsonist.

GiGi’s founder, Nancy Gianni, and her daughter, GiGi, the inspiration for the organization, made their cameos from Chicago to celebrate the center’s first opening in 18 months.

Some new features include an expanded kitchen, tutoring centers and more space for physical activity.

“We are so excited. The moment you walk through our doors, it’s all about independence and learning. You can feel your age because we impact from a pre-natal or birth diagnosis through the lifespan. It’s super exciting we’re able to expand our gym, bring in a teen and adult career training center. My friends learn math differently and if they have a dream to be a cashier, we can help enhance them with that lifeskill. We are able to bring in an additional kitchen for our Gigi’s Kitchen program as well as socialization in a lot of our core programs are through cooking. It’s a very mobile space so we can make it how we want,” says Heather Lorenzen, the Executive Director of Gigi’s Playhouse in Fargo.

She adds she’s overwhelmed with joy and is grateful to her team and community that helped make this dream into reality.