Wednesday, March 16, 2016

District Spring Fling!

We had a fun social to welcome our District friends. Thank you Perez family for opening your gorgeous home to us. Fr. Donal said mass in their living room! Mojos catered our dinner then we had a great meeting and special Lent enrichment.
Community Mass at the Perezes
Our District friends encouraged us all to come to the National Convention August 26-28 in New Orleans! Registration is up, so don't delay. The early registration discount goes until May. If you are an active member of our community, we may throw some dollars your way to help you get to convention. Talk to us for more details.

Here are a few important pointers about the upcoming convention: 1. The hotel is giving us the same deep discount for extra nights before and after the convention. Reservations must be made by August 5. Check the hotel reservation page for a list of those dates.
2. Food: The convention will provide Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Saturday and Breakfast on Sunday. Breakfasts will be a grab-and-go provided in the Hospitality Suites, lunch will be a boxed lunch provided by the hotel.
3. Attractions: New Orleans has much to offer people of all ages. The World War II Museum is a world class museum and is not to be missed. The hotel is just blocks away from Historic St. Louis Cathedral which is celebrating the Jubilee year of Mercy. If you have little ones, New Orleans has lots to offer them too!! The Aquarium and Insectarium are both a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The street cars are a quick way to ride through and get a look at the city. There are also horse and buggy tours available. Check out the attractions that New Orleans has to offer.
4. Dining: The hotel is very close to so many French Quarter restaurants. During August, you can take advantage of COOLinary Days where local restaurants offer great prices on prix-fixe meals. Check out 2015 menus now as a reference. Also, Café Du Monde (beignets) is about a mile from the hotel, but there are also 2 Café Beignets which are both 0.2 miles from the hotel.
5. Childcare is available during the convention but will be limited to 50 kids (ages 1-12) and 10 helpers (13 and over). If childcare could be a limiting factor, please register early. Knowing the ages of the kids coming will help us make plans.
6. If you are driving in, don’t forget to look into parking. You can reserve a spot at a cheaper lot, but must do so in advance.
7. This summer we will be sending out confirmation letters via email. More info will be given on childcare, t-shirts and lunch choices at that time.

Important Dates
Early Bird discount for Registration and for childcare Ends May 31
Last Day to get EE discounted hotel room
August 5 (at 5pm CDT)

Recommended Parking Reservations dates
August 15-26

Friday Enrichment
Aug 26, 9-noon
Convention Dates August 26-28

Please keep in mind the heat while visiting New Orleans in August. Bring a bottle for water, sunglasses, sunscreen and even an umbrella if you plan on exploring this great city! Please don’t forget to encourage family and friends to donate here to help keep our registration cost down!