Grieving Families Journey to National Grief Conference July 20-22

COSTA MESA, Calif., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's largest self-help bereavement conference will be held in Costa Mesa, CA by The Compassionate Friends, July 20-22, when more than 1400 parents, siblings, and grandparents from across the country, grieving the death of a child, will converge on the city. This will be The Compassionate Friends 35th National/5th International Gathering, and incorporates its 13th Walk to Remember®.

All those attending will have one thing in common, their family has been torn apart by the death of a child, whether it happened two weeks or 40 years ago.

"This is a unique conference because everyone has experienced what most consider the ultimate loss, the death of a child within the family," says Patricia Loder, executive director of the 640 chapter national nonprofit organization. "We gather together in a nurturing atmosphere of acceptance, validation, understanding, and hope."

Keynote speakers include: Lois Duncan, award-winning author of Who Killed My Daughter?; Kathy Eldon, journalist, author, and producer, whose son Dan, a Reuters photographer, was stoned to death by an angry mob in Somalia; Darcie Sims, internationally recognized grief speaker; and Michelle Linn-Gust, bereaved sibling and president of the American Association of Suicidology. More than 100 workshops on various facets of grief will be available, as well as sharing sessions, memory boards, hospitality suites, a full bookstore, and much more.

Because this is an International Conference, representatives of Compassionate Friends organizations around the world are expected for the conference.

As many as 15,000 children who have died from across the country will have their names carried by the up to 1400 participating in the Walk to Remember. Registration and a signed waiver of liability is required to participate in the Walk. Registration starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 22, while the Walk will start at 8 a.m. from the hotel, the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, host hotel for the conference.

"Many will be attending a TCF national conference for the first time," says Mrs. Loder, who herself is a twice bereaved parent. "We are doing everything possible to make them feel comfortable. Anyone who would like to attend, but has not yet registered, may do so at the conference."

For more information, please call 877-969-0010 or visit http://www.compassionatefriends.org.

The Compassionate Friends is the world's largest self-help bereavement organization for families that have had a child die. The organization has a presence in at least 30 countries worldwide.

Contact:
Wayne Loder
Public Awareness Coordinator
The Compassionate Friends
(Toll-free) 877-969-0010 ext. 308
E-mail: [email protected]
Click here for press kit

California Contact:
Olivia Garcia
Publicity Chair
818-212-3506
[email protected]

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SOURCE The Compassionate Friends