The 24th Annual SOFT International Conference will be held in July 2010 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Online registration coming soon!

The conference provides families with not only educational and medical resources, but a time and place to build friendships and memories with others who are going through the same journey. 

KICKING BACK SOFTLY IN SOUTH DAKOTA
SOFT Conference 2010—Sioux Falls, South Dakota
July 14 – 18, 2010

As it blizzards so fiercely outside that there is no school and we have our business closed for the day (truly, no one should be out and about!) it’s hard top believe that in less than six short months it will be July and Conference time in peaceful, laid-back Sioux Falls, SD!

Plans are coming along quite well. We are very pleased that we don’t need to raise the cost of conference registration—adults will be $110, children 11 and under, $85, and SOFT children and sibs 2 and under, free.

Hotel Accommodations:
Room reservations at the Holiday Inn City Centre in beautiful downtown Sioux Falls should be made directly by calling 1-605-339-2000 or by using the link on the SOFT website (coming soon). If you call, make sure to request the SOFT room rate of $97 per night.  The hotel was renovated in 2006 and has 299 guest rooms, and complimentary parking. Guest rooms include complimentary wireless internet, in-room movies and video games, along with all the usual comforts. Kids 12 and under eat free with their parents in the award-winning Park Place Café. Holiday Inn City Centre also has on-site fitness center, indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi and dry sauna, business center, concierge services, ATM/cash machine, and complimentary transportation to/from Sioux Falls Airport.

Scientific Symposium and Medical Clinics:
The Scientific Symposium/Grand Rounds will be held Thursday morning, July 15th, at Sanford Children’s Hospital. Registration is required and open to anyone interested. This year’s topic will be presented by Dr. John Carey and Dr. Eugene Hoyme of Sanford Children’s Hospital.

The annual SOFT Clinics will be held Thursday afternoon, and transportation will be provided to and from Sanford Children’s Hospital . Childcare will be provided at the Hotel for SOFT siblings, and there will be light refreshments at the hospital.
This year’s clinics include cardiology, pulmonary, GI/Feeding, orthopedics, ear/nose/throat, neurology, developmental pediatrics, genetic counseling, and physiatry/rehab. Each family will be able to choose three clinics, and they will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. If anyone would like to “pre-register” your clinic choices, e-mail me at kgjorg@abe.midco.net. But also make sure to put them on your registration form!

Memory Room:
A quiet place will be provided for families to share their special memories of those they have lost. Please bring photos, photo albums, scrapbooks, or any other mementoes to share. The Memory Room will be open throughout the Conference, from Thursday morning until 6:00PM after the picnic on Saturday.

Video:
Remember to submit 2-3 pictures by June 1st for Kris Holladay’s Annual Video. They can be uploaded at www.softannualvideo.com, but please make sure pictures are less than 1 MB. Pictures may also be sent by postal mail: Kris Holladay, 1522 E. Garnet Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85204. NOTE: Pictures will not be returned, so please do not send original, one of a kind pictures!!! Include the following information: 1)Parents’ Names, 2)Child’s Name and Diagnosis, 3)Birth Date and Death Date(if applies), 4)May we reuse your pictures in future videos?, 5)Attending Conference(yes, no, undecided), 6)Any additional information you’d like to share. Questions: email Kris at holladay2go@hotmail.com
We appreciate everyone’s generosity in sharing their special pictures of their precious children and families. Thank You!!!

New Families:
New families will be introduced at Friday morning breakfast, around 8:30.

SOFTwear:
Be sure to order your SOFTwear on your registration form so you are guaranteed to get correct sizes!!

Sib Outings:
There will be two sib outings Friday, July 16th.
Sib Outing for ages 4-11: Washington Pavilion--$16 apiece includes admission to the Kirby Science Discovery Center, which has over 100 interactive exhibits for the kids to explore, and admission to an adventure film on the giant 60-foot screen in the Wells Fargo CineDome, plus lunch and a t-shirt. The Washington Pavilion is within walking distance of the Hotel.
Sib Outing for ages 12 and up: Wild Water West--$15 apiece, this covers admission to the water park, where activities include wave pool, slide complex, Caribbean Falls, kiddie pool, activity pool, lazy river, bumper boats, sand volleyball, and much more! Everyone bring your own money for food, concessions are reasonable and there is a good variety!

Optional Friday Night Outing
This Year’s Friday Night Outing is a minor league baseball game between the Sioux Falls Canaries and the Wichita Wingnuts. Since it is Sanford night, we will be treated to a fireworks display after the game!
We do need to know how many plan to attend, so be sure to mark this on your registration form!!

Picnic and Balloon Release:
Our picnic and the Ryan Cantrell Balloon Release will hopefully be held at beautiful Sertoma Park. With its different levels of playground equipment, the Outdoor Campus, and large, covered picnic area, we feel this is a perfect picnic spot! It cannot be officially booked until 120 days before our event, but we plan to have some of our committee members sleep on the doorstep the night before, if necessary, so we should be guaranteed of getting it! Keep your fingers crossed!

Auction:
The annual auction, live and silent, will begin at 6:30 PM on Saturday evening, and will include light refreshments. We encourage everyone to bring auction items to donate, as well as cash, checkbooks and credit cards. Auction items can be dropped off at registration, or if you need to mail something ahead of time, call me to make arrangements—605-947-4752 or 605-947-4461.

Registration or Conference Questions? Gloria Jorgenson-605-947-4752 or kgjorg@abe.midco.net

Workshops(workshop topics subject to change):
We have some excellent workshops in the works: “Knitting Therapy”, “Grief Support and Creating Memories”, “ T-18”, “T-13”, “Related Disorders”, “Making Partners With Your Professional”, “What About Me, the Sibling?” for parents with siblings/surviving siblings of their SOFT child, “Accessing Special Education Services”, “Financial Estate Planning”, “Caring for the Caregiver”, “My Child is Getting Older, So What Should I Expect Now?”, “Moms Round Table”, “Working With Your Family Physician”. “Dads, a Beer, and Straight Talk” is going to be a Dads only workshop. It will be held on the Hotel patio if our South Dakota weather cooperates, and the Dads can grab a beer before they come, then settle in for a round table discussion on whatever they feel the need to discuss. There are a few other workshops that are in the planning stages as yet., but we’re trying to have something for everyone.

Keynote Speaker: (Saturday Morning)
This year’s Keynote speaker will be Dr. Lawrence J. Fenton of Sanford Children’s Hospital. Dr. Fenton’s specialty is Pediatric Palliative Care.

Conference Schedule(Subject to change):
Wednesday, July 14
8:00am – 6:00pm SOFT Board Meeting(Childcare available for Board Members’ children).
2:00pm – 5:00pm Registration
Whole Day On your own—Suggestions and maps will be available.

Thursday, July 15
7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
8:00am – 10:00pm Memory Room Open
9:00am – 5:00pm Registration
Thursday Morning –Scientific Symposium
Thursday Afternoon – Medical Clinics
12:30pm – 4:30pm Childcare Available
1:00pm – 3:00pm Workshops: A-Grief Support and Creating Memories
B-Knitting Therapy
6:00pm – 10:00pm Welcome Dinner: including cash bar, special recognition for our
SOFT Children and SOFT Adults, entertainment by Mogen’s Heroes.

Friday, July 16
7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
8:30am – 9:00am New Family Meet and Greet
8:00am – 10:00pm Memory Room Open
8:00am – Noon Registration
8:30am – Noon Childcare Available
Sib outing – Ages 4 to 11 - to Washington Pavilion – Kirby Science Discovery Center
and CineDome – includes lunch and t-shirt.
Sib outing – ages 12 and Up – Wild Water West – cost is admission only, bring money
for lunch!
9:15am – 10:30am Workshops - Session 1
10:45am – Noon Workshops – Session 2
Noon - 1:30pm Chapter Chair Luncheon
Noon – 1:30pm Lunch for Conference Attendees
1:15pm – 5:00pm Childcare Available
1:30pm – 2:45pm Workshops – Session 3
3:00pm – 4:15pm Workshops – Session 4
6:00pm – After Game Childcare Available
Dinner on Your Own
Friday Evening – Family Outing – Canaries Baseball Game or Free Time – Other options
Include Downtown Sioux Falls, Falls Park, Great Plains Zoo

Saturday, July 17
7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast
8:00am – 6:00pm Memory Room Open
8:00am – 8:45am Sharing Time
8:45am – 9:30am Kris Holladay’s Annual Video
9:30am – 10:15am Keynote Speaker
10:15am – 11:00am Business Meeting and Board Elections
11:30am Busses Load for Picnic
Noon – 5:00pm Annual Picnic and Ryan Cantrell Memorial Balloon Release
5:30pm – 6:30pm Dinner on Your Own
6:30pm - ??? SOFT Auction – Cash Bar opens at 6:30. Light refreshments will
be served at 7:30.

Sunday, July 18
7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast, with closing remarks at 8:30.
A List of Local Church Services will be included in the Family Packet.