Max Meets Max (and Mia)!

You may have seen the GiGi’s Playhouse social media post about Max Crawford, the handsome 22-year-old man with Down syndrome from Kansas City who is making quite a name for himself as founder of Max Mix Gourmet Spice Blends. We met Max when he and his parents, Rod and Pam, met with customers to promote his spice blends at the Hy-Vee on Fleur Drive in Des Moines in early February.

Little did we know that we weren’t the first ones from GiGi’s Playhouse Des Moines to welcome Max to town. Participants Max and Mia Evans beat us to the punch when Max brought his gourmet spice blends sampling station to the Grimes Hy-Vee some weeks earlier. Max and Mia’s mom, Barb, shared this picture of the three of them as photographic evidence, which I showed to Max and his parents when I stopped by. Of course, they all remembered meeting the Evans family.

The story of Max Mix is an amazing one. Living in Kansas City, Max’s dad grew up with a love of grilling and Max picked up on that. Max started playing with different spice blends and would give his creations to family, friends and teachers. Everyone loved his spice blends, and it encouraged him to start a small business. After placing Max Mix in local shops in the area, he got the attention of a Hy-Vee store director in Kansas City. Now Max Mix is available in 150 of their Midwest stores!

Rod told me that Max loves to meet people and share his story (and his product).  They spend many weekends travelling to Hy-Vee stores and other retailers to hand out samples “hot off the grill”, and the response is always amazing.

His mother, Pam, said that they’ve heard great things about GiGi’s Playhouse, and they hope to stop in for a tour on their next weekend visit to a Hy-Vee in the metro area. There’s not a GiGi’s Playhouse in Kansas City (yet), and they can’t wait to see our place, especially the GiGi’s Kitchen. Which, by the way, is now fully stocked with Max Mix Gourmet Spice Blends!

To learn more about Max Mix (and to place an online order), go here: https://ow.ly/yRn950Y9lxm

You can also come to the March 7 GiGi’s Playhouse “Boots and Bling” Gala and bid on a special Max Mix Gift Set that will be up for grabs in our silent auction!