2018 CLS Family Gathering – Indianapolis, Indiana

2018 COFFIN LOWRY SYNDROME FAMILY GATHERING – Dianna & Don Garvin, 2018 Host Family

Thursday, June 21, 2018 was the beginning of a wonderful weekend as well as an emotional rollercoaster. There were lots of new faces and some old faces, but instantly everyone felt like family. Tears shedding from happiness of seeing each other again to new parents realizing there are other CLS families dealing with the same daily trials, as themselves. We had 17 families stay with us at the Holiday Inn – Greenwood, Indiana. Families traveled from states as close as Illinois and Michigan and as far as Australia.

Friday was filled with bonding, socializing, playing Wii bowling, coloring and doing puzzles together as
one big family. A big thank you to a local realty company that donated Pizza/Calzone lunch for the
families at the hotel. The Hayden family for hosting our first ever, Ladies with CLS luncheon. The girls had a wonderful time getting to know each other, making crafts, painting t-shirts and enjoying a lovely lunch. The boys enjoyed a little afternoon swimming, dinner at Cracker Barrel and an end of the day stop at the local movie theater to see “The Incredibles”.

Saturday was our adventure day to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. The kids, big and small, loved spotting the giant dinosaurs peeking in the windows of the museum. The families all enjoyed the new amazing Outdoor World of Sports, and the many other attractions the museum offered. Swimming was in order again Saturday afternoon before we all enjoyed a wonderful South of the Border
buffet. We danced the night away, thanks to Tom’s DJ buddy, Brandon.
The information and knowledge our families learn from these gatherings is priceless. All the families were so very grateful for the support that we received from our friends and local businesses to make this event so successful.

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