SOFT Conference 2024

Bloomington, Minnesota

July 10-14th, 2024

Conference Details

We are excited to bring you the 2024 SOFT Conference!

The 2024 SOFT Conference will be held July 10th-14th in Bloomington, MN. Our conference host is Marta McClanahan.

SOFT’s annual conference is a place for families to connect with each other, learn new things in our forums, clinics, and workshops. Siblings enjoy meeting friends through activities and outings. We embrace our living trisomy children and remember all the angels who have gone too soon.

This page will be updated as more details are announced. Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up with all that is being planned for you this July in Bloomington, MN!

About the Conference Hotel

The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington, MN

Address: 2800 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55431

Phone: 952-967-8700
Special Rate: $125/night* plus tax for queen or king suite.

*This rate expires TBA, so don’t wait! You can reserve this rate for your stay beginning Monday July 8 – Sunday July 14.

Remember, a hotel reservation does NOT register you for the conference; that is separate. Click the “Register for Conference” button above for your conference registration.

The hotel offers on-site self parking included with room rate.

The SOFT Registration desk will open on Wednesday July 10th at 1pm. For location and additional information please see the conference schedule.

Please check in as soon as you arrive so you can receive your conference bag which contains essential conference information and much more.

Welcome Dinner

 

Thursday night’s Welcome Dinner will be served buffet style. The evening will feature a Keynote Speaker and events such as the Parade of Stars, Remembering our Angels (in memory of Stacy Vanherreweghe), Erin Jorgenson scholarship awards, other awards, DJ, music, dancing, entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to socialize with families and friends!

“SOFT Friends” Annual Video

 
 

The Kari Deann Holladay “SOFT Friends Video”, will be shown during Friday Family Game Night.

Click the “More Information” button for all the details on submitting your child’s photo. Submission deadline is June 1, 2024. Any photos received after this date can not be included in the video.

Outings & Events

Annual SOFT Remembrance Outing

This year our remembrance outing will be held at the hotel. This will be for a time of sharing with each other about our journey. Angel families who schedule to come will join in a lunch on site. We will then share time making rock art in memory of our angels. We will also take the time to share our experiences together as we work and enjoy this special time together.

Siblings Outings

This year our SOFT Sibs are going to have a wonderful time as they visit Valleyfair Amusement Park (More info here).  Thanks to the generous donation of Mary Kellet, in memory of her son Peter, the first 50 sibs will go for FREE.

Picnic

The annual Ryan Cantrell Memorial Celebration will be held at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory (check it out here).

You can register your SOFT Angel in the Memorial Celebration when you register for conference.  If you are not attending conference you are still welcome to register your SOFT Angel to be included in the Memorial Celebration by completing the Conference Registration form as a non-attending Memorial Celebration participant. 

All memorial registrations must be submitted prior to the beginning of Conference.

The address for Como Zoo & Conservatory is located at 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, MN. 55103

Ryan Cantrell Memorial Celebration

 

The annual Ryan Cantrell Memorial Celebration will be held at the Saturday Picnic. You can register your SOFT Angel in the Memorial Celebration when you register for conference.

If you are not attending conference you are still welcome to register your SOFT Angel to be included in the Memorial Celebration by completing the Conference Registration form as a non-attending Memorial Celebration participant.

All memorial registrations must be submitted prior to the beginning of Conference.

Registration details to follow.

Auction

The Auction will be held Saturday night at the conference hotel. The auction includes both silent and live auctions.

All auction items are donated from the local community as well as from SOFT members across the country and around the world.

Please send your Auction Donation Items to Marta McClanahan.
Marta McClanahan
401 Avalon Circle
Sartell MN 56377

SOFT Angel Memory Room

The SOFT Angel Memory Room is a Place for our families who “carry their child in their heart” to share precious memories of their child. We will have a special place for you to display photo albums or other memorabilia you want to share to help us get to know your child. Be sure to remove your special belongings prior to closure!

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

We’ll provide a downloadable schedule once it is finalized.

Joey Watson Memorial Conference
Attendance Assistance Fund

The Joey Watson Memorial Conference Attendance Assistance fund exists to assist qualifying families with basic conference expenses. Typically this might be help with conference registration fees or a possible hotel night.  The deadline for submitting the form is May 31st, 2024 and requestors must seek other assistance in their communities prior to asking for help from this fund.  These funds are very limited, so start early.