As many of you are aware, a tragic act of terror occurred this past weekend in Orlando, Florida. We are all deeply moved and saddened by this horrific event. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been hurt or suffered loss due to these appalling actions. Our Standards of Conduct clearly state that "we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion, or country of origin." As a community we strive to welcome all, and are deeply troubled by this vicious act of violence.

First and foremost, we would like to assure you that safety of conference attendees, speakers, and volunteers is our paramount priority. While we can never be absolutely certain that The Perl Conference will be accident or incident-free, we would not allow the event to proceed if we had credible evidence that doing so would endanger even a single person.

We would also like to ask for your help in making a special contribution on behalf of The Perl Community to the One Orlando Fund (http://www.oneorlando.org/). We will accept cash donations for the One Orlando Fund throughout the conference. Additionally, we will host a silent auction throughout the week with the proceeds benefitting the One Orlando fund. Please consider donating items of value to be auctioned. Items can be left at Registration by Noon on Monday, or you can contact admin@yapcna.org to make other arrangements.