©Depositphotos.com/bst2012

Back for its second year, the annual Sickle Cell Community Gathering and Educational Symposium hosted by Sickle Cell Warriors will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from July 17 through July 20. Don't wait any longer to grab your tickets, you're not going to want to miss a single second of this retreat! Here are just a few reasons why you've got to make sure you're there: 

1. You'll be empowered. Not that you don't feel empowered to continue this fight of your life already, but the struggle is real. There's nothing like re-energizing those feelings of empowerment by surrounding yourself with people who know exactly what you're going through and can provide support, encouragement, and share methods of coping that have worked for them.

2. It's a built-in family vacation. Everyone's invited to this gathering -- sickle cell patients, family, friends, caretakers, etc. -- and your digs for the weekend will be the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta-Buckhead. This beautiful, newly renovated, eco-friendly hotel is outfitted with lots of amenities and is conveniently located less than ten miles from a variety of must-see sites. During your free time, walk to Lenox Mall (where the celebrities shop) or visit the Georgia Aquiarium; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site; the World of Coca-Cola; CNN Studios; Centinnial Olympic Park, and so much more! 

3. You'll mingle with royalty. Sickle-cell royalty, that is. On Saturday night, there'll be a formal dinner with a guest speaker, and following the meal, there will be a dance party at which the 2014 Warrior Prince and Princess will be crowned. 

4. You'll Learn Something New. Besides bonding with other members of #TeamSickleCell and enjoying the sites that ATL has to offer, you'll also get to take part in a group outing and educational sessions, as well as visit informational booths that will be set up throughout the conference. You're sure to learn things here that you may not have known before and more knowledge unlocks more power and strength you'll need to continue the battle against SCD. 

Are you attending the gathering this year? Tell us in the comments!