COVID-19 Update – Sadly, the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat has been canceled. Traditionally, registration fees are nonrefundable; however, the pandemic is an unusual circumstance and CHASA has refunded each family’s registration fee. As always, the health and safety of your children, families, our staff and volunteers are of the utmost importance to us.
Additional details are provided in the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest group and the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat – You’re Going to Texas! group on Facebook.
Watch the chasa.org site for information about the next CHASA Family Retreat. We can’t wait to get together again.
Are You Ready to Party?
Join hundreds of kids, teens, and adults who have hemiplegia and their families for 4+ days of fun and relaxation. The Children’s Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA) hosts a family retreat where families who “get it” can socialize, share ideas, and have FUN!
Research shows that knowing peers who are like you is very important for the social development of children, especially for children with disabilities and their siblings. We’ve hosted retreats since 2000, so we know what we’re doing! Warning – once you attend one retreat, you’ll keep coming back!
Join Our CHASA Retreat Interest Facebook Group to Learn More
- Please read this entire page before filling out the Retreat Interest Form
- The CHASA Retreat Interest Form link is at the bottom of this page. You’ll be added to the Retreat Interest Facebook Group after we receive your form.
Who Can Attend the Retreat?
- The retreat is open to the families CHASA serves. This includes children, teens or adults with hemiplegia (diagnosed early in life), and their siblings and parents
- We almost always have an equal number of kids in all age groups – from about 1 year old up to adults with hemiplegia who are in their 30s.
- If you’re an adult with hemiplegia, we think you’ll enjoy getting to know others who may have shared similar experiences
- Sometimes a parent attends without their child if the child is very young or is an adult who is not interested in attending
- If you need help with childcare, you are welcome to bring an adult with you; grandparents or an aunt will often attend. The additional adults need to register, pay the registration fee and sign the waiver. Please register them on your registration form
- Please do not bring children or teens who are outside your immediate family. If you have questions regarding this, we’re happy to discuss
- Service and therapy animals are welcome
When Is the CHASA Family Retreat?
- Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 2 pm to Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at noon
- Some families extend their trip a day or two before or following the retreat
Where Is the CHASA Family Retreat?
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center at 3100 Town Center Trail, Denton, TX 76201
- Please do not make reservations until you receive the group code/rate
- Group room rates are based off the number of adults in the room. The price for the room per night for 1 or 2 adults is $124. Then, it goes up by $10 per adult, so it’s $134 for 3 adults; $144 for 4 adults. Any children under the age of 18 will not affect the rate, so when making reservations please be sure to mark them as Children and not as Adults. Taxes and incidentals will be added to the rates listed above.
- The group reservation code can be found in the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Group on Facebook. There are a limited number of hotel rooms available at this rate so you’ll need to book as early as possible. Additional hotel nights, based on availability, may be available at the group rate for Friday and Saturday prior to the retreat and for Wednesday following the retreat.
- The hotel offers two-room suites, free cooked-to-order breakfast and a nightly evening reception with complimentary light appetizers and beverages. Parking is free. We have negotiated free internet access for your room.
- We realize that some of you may wish to reserve two rooms for your family. You will be allowed to reserve one room at the group rate. You’ll need to reserve your second room at the standard rate. After all families have registered for the retreat, if additional group rate rooms are available, we will assist you in switching your second room to the group rate. This plan allows us to offer, based on availability, at least one group rate room to as many families as possible. There is a space on our registration form where you can request the group rate for a second room. If extended family members are attending to assist with childcare, they should reserve a room at the standard rate. If we have group rate rooms available after all families have reserved a room, we will offer the group rate to extended family members.
Am I required to stay at the retreat hotel?
- Yes, you must stay at the retreat hotel
- CHASA has a financial commitment to the hotel
- Our hotel contract for the event states, “Attendees must stay at the hotel and book a minimum of 3 nights under the CHASA group.” The exception to this is if we sell out of group rate rooms, local families may not be required to book a hotel room. If we do not sell out of our group rate rooms, everyone will need to stay at the hotel
- Staying at the hotel is a big part of the retreat experience. Kids and parents are hanging out together to swim, play games, do crafts, and plan free time. Many connections take place outside our planned activities. If you’re commuting back and forth, you will definitely miss out on the heart of the retreat
How Much Is the Registration Fee?
- Registration and Payment Deadline: March 15, 2020
17 years old and up: $125 per person
5 years to 16 years: $100 per person
ages 4 and under: $30 per person
Example of registration fee: 2 parents (17 or older) at $125 per parent = $250 and 1 child (age 7) at $100 per person = $100 $250 for parents plus $100 for child equals $350 registration fee - The registration fee includes 3 meals per person with our group at the hotel
Are CHASA Retreat Scholarships Available?
- A limited number of scholarships will be available for families in need. CHASA provided scholarships to 22 families at our last retreat. Please help us raise funds to reach even more families in 2020! You can easily set up fundraisers for CHASA on Facebook or here and when you register for the retreat, you can also donate to help a family.
- Scholarships are not available for travel expenses
- Scholarship applications are available in the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Group on Facebook
- February 4, 2020: CHASA Retreat Scholarship Application Deadline – fill out this form by February 4, 2020
- February 7, 2020: CHASA will notify Retreat Scholarship recipients by email. If you are not receiving a scholarship, you will also be notified. Please watch your spam/junk mail box for Scholarship information. Email will be delivered from the address listed in the Facebook group
- February 13, 2020: Scholarship Recipients – You must notify us by email as to whether or not you will accept the scholarship. If we do not receive a response to our scholarship offer by 2/13/2020, we will assume you are not accepting the scholarship and will offer it to another family
- Scholarship recipients are required to pay registration fees by the March 15, 2020 deadline. Please do not register until you are ready to pay. Registration fees are not refundable if you do not attend the retreat. We suggest you wait to register until you’ve received notification as to whether you will or will not receive a scholarship. Scholarship checks will be distributed at the registration desk on the first day of the retreat
Sample Agenda (This will change)
- Friday and Saturday – Some families arrive early to make this a longer vacation; a limited number of hotel rooms at group rate may be available
- Sunday – The CHASA Retreat officially begins at the 2:00 pm Registration; Meet and Greet; Group Photo; Create, Coordinate and Sign Up for Group Discussions and Community Outings; CHASA Group Dinner at hotel (included in your registration fee)
- Monday – Create and Coordinate Group Discussions and Community Outings, Teen/Young Adult Room, CHASA Group Lunch at hotel (included in your registration fee), CHASA Off-site Bowling or other activity, Free Time
- Tuesday -Teen/Young Adult Panel and Demonstrations; CHASA Group Lunch at hotel (included in your registration fee), Afternoon Free Time, and CHASA Evening Party/Board Games/Dance
- Wednesday – Create and Coordinate Group Discussions and Community Outings; Hotel Check Out at and retreat ends at noon; some families extend their trip and stay additional nights
Is Childcare Available?
- Childcare is not available at the retreat
- This is a family event and all activities will include parents and children
- If childcare is needed, families are encouraged to bring another adult to the retreat to help
- Please do not ask teens and young adults who are attending the retreat and not traveling with your family to babysit. They may be uncomfortable saying no and they’ll miss out on activities for their age group
What are my responsibilities at the CHASA Family Retreat?
- Show up and have fun!
- CHASA has a staff of ONE, so we ask that at least one member of each family volunteer either before or during the retreat. More information on volunteer positions will be available after you register
- The 2020 retreat will have a different format. You’ll have the opportunity to create and coordinate discussion groups with topics of interest to you. You can also create opportunities for families to meet in the community for a play date or for meals. You can also sign up for opportunities that other parents create and if you’ve never attended a retreat, no worries – we’ll help you connect with activities. We’ll still have those activities that you love – Meet and Greet at Registration; Group Dinner; Lunch on Monday and Tuesday; Group Bowling; and the Tuesday night Board Games/Party/Dance
- Check the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Facebook Group frequently for updates. Please go to the actual group page – FB won’t always send notifications of posts to you
- Please care for your children at all times while at the hotel. Don’t allow them to wander the property alone
- Please, please, please pay attention to the deadlines – scholarship, scholarship response, hotel reservations, and registration
- Realize that CHASA has financial commitments with the hotel. Registration fees are not refundable
Want more information? Fill out the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Form
- Fill out the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Form (this is not the registration form)
- After you submit the form, you’ll be asked redirected to the CHASA 2020 Family Retreat Interest Group on Facebook. Please request to join
- In the group you’ll learn more about registration, how to pay, scholarship applications, and the hotel group rate reservation code
- You must be a FB friend of our admin so we can message you if needed. More info in the pinned post in the FB group
- Check the FB group page frequently and read the “pinned post” at the top of the group’s timeline
- You must visit the Facebook group on a regular basis to receive all information. Facebook does not automatically send all group information to you
- On the group page, go to “Notifications” and select “All Posts”
