CONFERENCE EXTRAS
Starfish Dinner & Dance
The Annual Chromosome 18 Family Conference culminates in the final night gala, the Starfish Dinner & Dance. This wonderful evening includes a three-course meal, awards presentations, silent and live auctions, and of course LOTS of dancing after a fantastic few days, drawing the conference to a close. The Starfish Dinner & Dance will take place on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026.
The Starfish Dinner & Dance is open to all registered conference attendees, family, friends, community partners, and sponsors. Tickets for unreserved seating are included in your Conference registration. In other words, if you’re registered for Conference, you don’t need to buy a separate ticket for the Dinner & Dance. Anyone who is not attending Conference (maybe you have family or friends in the San Antonio area) may purchase tickets in a separate portal (which will open closer to the Conference dates) for $125. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone who is not attending the full Conference to be part of our special event. Family table sponsorships will also be available for those that want their choice of seating.
Family Table Sponsorship: Raise or sponsor at least $1,500 USD and you will be able to pick your choice of table (which seats 10 people total) in the ballroom for the Starfish Dinner & Dance! This sponsorship allows you to invite guests to join you at no additional costs. *The portals for both purchasing and fundraising for family table will open soon!
Evenings Out - a Series of Special Nights Out in San Antonio!
Join Chromosome 18 in San Antonio, TX for an incredible series of evenings out! Take in the sights and spend time relaxing and enjoying the company of other Conference attendees after the day’s sessions. Nights Out are optional activities that you can choose to participate in if you so desire.
All event registration must be completed online, prior to the conference. There will be NO on-site events registration this year.
*Please Note: Registration for 2026 “Evenings Out” Events will be separate from Conference Registration, and is not yet open. Event details are subject to change.
2026 Events will include:
Mens’ Night
Ladies’ Night
Siblings’ Night
Self Advocate Night
*Please note that Nights Out registration will close on July 5th, 2026 at midnight CT.
Merchandise
There will be a limited supply of merchandise available for purchase in person at Conference.
Research Study Participation
Important Information from the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center
Are you interested in enrolling in the research study and contributing to a better understanding of chromosome 18 conditions? You can enroll and complete the process at the conference! For those families who are not enrolled in the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center, our research center staff will be on-hand to assist you with the enrollment process.
If you are interested in enrolling in person at the conference or would like more information, please contact the Clinical Research Center at:
210-567-5321 or chromosome18@uthscsa.edu.
For enrollment, they will need:
- Signed consent forms (which will be emailed to you before the conference)
- A copy of your child’s cytogenetics report (which you can email to the Research Center)
- Blood draw (which can be completed at Conference)
The blood draw is the final and most crucial part of enrollment. Once the above three items are complete, you will be enrolled in the study and assigned a study number.
It is very important that the signed consent forms and cytogenetics report are returned to the Research Center by June 30, 2026 (before the Conference begins) so that they may schedule the blood draw.