Camp Widow

Camp Widow Camp Widow® is a unique weekend program that provides practical tools, relevant resources, and an invaluable community for any widowed person who attends.

Soaring Spirits has returned to in person programming! Regular Conference Registration - $700
Organization-Subsidized Registration - $425
Attending One Day only - $225

Your conference fee for Camp Widow® will include the following:

Friday: Access to a full day of workshops, discussions, and intensive seminars
One ticket to the Friday evening Welcome Reception
Saturday: Keynot

e address
Saturday: Access to a full day of workshops, discussions, and intensive seminars
One ticket to the Soaring Spirits Semi-formal Award Banquet
Sunday: One paid registration to the Widow Dash 5K Run/Walk in Tampa, FL or San Diego, CA (registration applies to campers only)
One ticket to our Farewell Breakfast buffet.
*Cost of registration (Does not include Hotel stay)


* Hotel accommodations are not included. Instructions for booking your hotel accommodations can be found online at www.campwidow.org. We will also have an online board on our Widowed Village forum to help you find a roommate if you wish to defray costs by sharing a room with another camper.

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Camp Widow® East 2023 (Tampa, FL): March 17 - 19, 2023

Transportation to and from the host hotel is readily available via both taxi and pre-arranged shuttle from Tampa International Airport. Hotel Contact Information:

Tampa Marriott Water St Hotel and Marina
700 South Florida Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33602
Phone: 1-813-221-4900
Fax: 1-813-204-6342
Group name: Camp Widow
Room rate $263 per night

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Our Camp Widow West® event will be held in the lovely city of San Diego, California from July 14 - 16, 2023. Transportation to and from the host hotel is readily available at the San Diego International Airport via taxi and ride share services - the hotel is about three miles from the airport. All Camp Widow® functions will be held within walking distance of the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina. Camp Widow® West Hotel Contact Information:

San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
333 West Harbor Drive
San Diego CA 92101
Phone: 619-234-1500
Fax: 619-234-8678
Reservations Call Line: 877-622-3056
Group Name: Camp Widow
Room rate $260 per night

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Our Camp Widow Canada® event is scheduled in the heart of downtown Toronto from November 11-13, 2022. Transportation to the host hotel is readily available via both taxi and pre-arranged shuttle service from Toronto Pearson Airport. Note that all Camp Widow registration fees and hotel fees are in CAD. Camp Widow® Canada Hotel Contact Information:

Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre
525 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L2Canada
Phone: 1-416-597-9200
Fax: 1-416-597-9211
Reservations Call Line: 1-800-905-0667
Group Name: Camp Widow
Room rate $265 CAD per night

We are so excited that you will be joining us, and whichever camp event you choose, we promise you a weekend you will never forget!

There is no "right" way or "perfect" way to show up for others. All we do is lead with kindness and open heart . . . and...
08/30/2026

There is no "right" way or "perfect" way to show up for others. All we do is lead with kindness and open heart . . . and that is where mutual healing begins 🤍

Does the shift from summer to fall impact your grief? 🍂🧡
08/27/2026

Does the shift from summer to fall impact your grief? 🍂🧡

Throughout August, Michele is sharing memories and photographs that celebrate Phil's life and the quiet generosity that ...
08/24/2026

Throughout August, Michele is sharing memories and photographs that celebrate Phil's life and the quiet generosity that continues to inspire Soaring Spirits.

Phil loved taking photographs and capturing life on video. Ironically, he was often the first to duck out of the frame or protest when Michele turned the camera toward him. Yet he carried photographs in his wallet because they meant so much to him.

His smile was unforgettable, and as Michele often says, he was effortlessly photogenic—when she could actually convince him to stand still long enough for a picture.

One of the gifts these memories offer is a simple reminder: take the photos. Capture the ordinary moments, the goofy smiles, and the everyday life that doesn't seem remarkable at the time. One day, those images may become among your most treasured possessions.

Each year, Soaring Spirits works alongside Michele to renew the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund with a goal of raising $20,000. To date, the fund has provided more than 1,500 newly widowed people with immediate, waitlist-free, cost-free access to research-informed support and a compassionate community that walks alongside them for years to come.

If Phil's story or Michele's reflections resonate with you, we invite you to honor his memory with a gift to the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund. Together, we can ensure that Phil's legacy of quiet kindness continues to bring hope to people when they need it most.

Give today at: https://donations.soaringspirits.org/?referer=soaringspirits.org

When the pain of the world feels like too much weight to bear - and our person is not here to help us carry it - it may ...
08/24/2026

When the pain of the world feels like too much weight to bear - and our person is not here to help us carry it - it may be helpful to turn our attention to the inspiring resilience of the human spirit.

The world is full of pain and suffering. It is also, as we know as people living through monumental loss, full of joy and overcoming.

When times are especially hard, it can help to pay attention to the goodness in the world.

The smile of a stranger, the laughter of a child, the embrace of a loved one, a moment of silent shared understanding between two grieving people . . .

What is a moment of goodness, big or small, that you have noticed recently?

"I thought I was failing. The days where I couldn't get out of bed, the isolation, and the sheer exhaustion. It all some...
08/23/2026

"I thought I was failing. The days where I couldn't get out of bed, the isolation, and the sheer exhaustion. It all somehow felt like I had failed miserably. Then I attended Camp Widow . . . and I learned through community that I wasn't a failure."

If you feel like a "failure" . . . you are not alone in that feeling. Before we found a widowed community who could normalize our experience, many of us felt the same.

So know this: you are not failing - you are GRIEVING. And there is a community of people who have been exactly where you are, just waiting to help validate your experience.

To learn more about Camp Widow, visit: https://campwidow.org/

to Camp Widow LGBTQ+ last year in Los Angeles 😍 🌈This year, on October 17th, we will be bringing Camp Widow LGBTQ+ to ...
08/21/2026

to Camp Widow LGBTQ+ last year in Los Angeles 😍 🌈

This year, on October 17th, we will be bringing Camp Widow LGBTQ+ to New York City for the very first time! 🌇 🤩

Camp Widow LGBTQ+ offers dedicated specific programming and events designed to support q***r individuals navigating the death of a spouse or partner. If you are LGBTQ+ and widowed, this space is designed for you 🧡🫂

Register today at https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=30325

Every year, Michele shares stories that help us know Phil not only as the man she loved, but as someone whose quiet gene...
08/20/2026

Every year, Michele shares stories that help us know Phil not only as the man she loved, but as someone whose quiet generosity continues to shape Soaring Spirits today.

One of Phil's greatest joys was coaching the Simi Valley Running Rebels. Long after his own children had aged out of the club, he continued coaching because he loved helping young runners discover what they were capable of.

Each season, he would quietly buy a new pair of cleats for a runner whose family couldn't easily afford them. Then he'd casually mention that he happened to have an extra pair "lying around." He never wanted recognition—he simply wanted every child to have the opportunity to experience the confidence that came from running with the right equipment.

Michele still remembers one young runner receiving those "used" cleats that looked suspiciously brand new. Phil walked away with a full heart, and somehow his collection of "extra" cleats seemed to grow every time he visited a sporting goods store.

That quiet generosity continues today through the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund. To date, the fund has provided more than 1,500 newly widowed people with immediate, waitlist-free, cost-free access to research-informed resources and the compassionate community of Soaring Spirits.

If Phil's story resonates with you, we invite you to honor his memory with a gift to the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund. Together, we can ensure that his legacy of quietly caring for others continues to bring hope to people when they need it most.

Give today at: https://donations.soaringspirits.org/?referer=soaringspirits.org

💭 "Phil and I had our first date on January 16, 2000. Six months later, we stood side by side on a trail and promised to...
08/20/2026

💭 "Phil and I had our first date on January 16, 2000. Six months later, we stood side by side on a trail and promised to love each other for the rest of our lives. We had no idea his life would end just five years later. I am so, so grateful we didn't wait one more minute to make that promise to each other." - Michele Neff Hernandez

❤️ Twenty-one years ago this August, Michele Neff Hernandez’s husband Phil was killed in a cycling accident. Out of that unimaginable loss grew a simple idea: no widowed person should have to navigate grief alone. That idea became Soaring Spirits.

🫂 As Michele shares memories and photographs throughout this campaign, we hope you'll enjoy getting to know the man whose kindness continues to shape Soaring Spirits in meaningful ways. The Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund was created to honor Phil's quiet generosity by ensuring that people who are newly widowed receive immediate, research-informed support and connection when they need it most.

🫶 To date, the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund has provided more than 1,500 newly widowed people with waitlist-free, cost-free access to Soaring Spirits programs and a compassionate community that will walk alongside them for years to come.

💗 Each year, our goal is to raise $20,000 to renew the fund, ensuring that Phil's legacy of quiet generosity continues to provide hope, connection, and research-informed support to people during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

💌 If Phil's story or Michele's reflections resonate with you, we invite you to honor his memory with a gift to the Phillip Hernandez Memorial Fund. Together, we can ensure that the kindness Phil so naturally extended to others continues to reach thousands more in the years ahead.

Give today at: https://donations.soaringspirits.org/?referer=soaringspirits.org

08/18/2026

for better or for worse, we are forever changed.

Address

2828 Cochran Street, # 194
Simi Valley, CA
93065

Telephone

+18776714071

Website

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