Three Bereavement Conferences This Summer

Three national conferences for bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives and friends will be held this summer. Although I mentioned them briefly about 4 months ago, here is some more detail for your perusal.


July 5-7, 2013 National Compassionate Friends Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Boston, MA.

This conference will have over 100 workshops dealing with all aspects of bereavement. In addition, keynote speakers will include:

• Dr. Heidi Horsley, Dr. Gloria Horsley, founders of "Open to Hope" Foundation and Phil Horsley (Chair of TCF Foundation's Board of Trustees), a family united after the loss of sibling and son Scott, will combine to welcome you as Opening keynoters at the National Conference.

• Tina Chery who, after the murder of her son Louis, created the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute with a mission to create and support an environment where families can live in peace and unity.

• Ken Druck, bereaved parent, founder of the Jenna Druck Foundation, and one of the nation's pioneers in personal transformation including healing after loss.

• Bill Hancock, director of the Bowl Championship Series (college football), author of Riding with the Blue Moth, and father of Will, who was killed during the January 27, 2001 crash of an airplane carrying members of the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team.

If you go to www.compassionatefriends.org , it will direct you to registration information and tell you more about the conference. Hotel cost is $169 plus tax per night. Registration if $90 per person until June 1, then $130.

Places to visit in Boston include The Freedom Trail, Boston Commons, Fenway Park, John F. Kennedy Library, Paul Revere House, lots of museums and shopping.

July 25-28, 2013 National Gathering of Bereaved Parents of USA at Sacramento, CA.

The site of this conference is The Lions Gate Hotel and Conference Center, 3410 Westover St. North Highlands in Sacramento. There is free parking, free shuttle to and from the airport, free breakfast for $89 per night. Places to visit in the area are Lake Tahoe, Lake Shasta, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park and the Redwoods.

Speakers include: Dr. Bob Baugher, Mitch Carmody, Dr. Gloria Horsley, Dr. Heidi Horsley, Daryl Hutson, Susan Levy, Kris Munsch, Dr. Darcie Sims and a beautiful Candle Lighting Ceremony presented by Alan Pedersen.

Registration for the conference is $50 per person

Contact Denise Pedersen at 916-367-7865 for more information about the conference or go to www.bereavedparentsUSA.org .

August 15-18, 2013 National POMC Conference in Cincinnati, OH

This conference if for families and friends of those who have died by violence. POMC stands for Parents of Murdered Children but incompasses all violent deaths.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza on 5th Street next to the Hyatt. cost of the hotel is $115 per night

Sessions will include the following: medical examiner, prison life, legal panel of judge, prosecutor and defense attorney, DNA cold cases, victim impact statements, domestic violence, homicide, view into the mind of a killer, gun violence prevention and the journey to hope.

For additional information, contact Sheri Nolan at 513-910-2598 or Terry Barton at 513-777-3397 or go to www.pomc.org