National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September that celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate health improvements made by those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. This observance reinforces the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. The 2021 National Recovery Month theme, “Recovery is For Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community,” reminds people in recovery and those who support them that no one is alone in the journey through recovery (NAADAC).
In honor of National Recovery Month and our local Recovery Community, Gateway is thrilled to host our 1st annual Walk for Recovery. This FREE event will Saturday, September 18th, 2021 from 10am – 1pm at Woodland Park, downtown Shawnee. The Walk for Recovery will begin and end at the corner of Highland and Broadway, approximately a 1 mile walk. There will be recovery resources available onsite along with live music, Spirit Carriage rides with Stanton Pace from Bowser’s Peace Sanctuary, inflatables and food served up by Gateway’s Community Service Team! Making signs and walking in honor or memory of a loved one is encouraged.
To let us know you are coming and to check out this year’s T-shirt, simply take a picture of the QR code located on the flyer. You will have the option of purchasing a shirt for yourself for $10, sponsoring a shirt for someone else for $10, or indicating that you will need your shirt sponsored. Chris Groth, owner of the Healthy Hive in downtown Shawnee, thoughtfully designed the t-shirt. The letters move from dark to light to symbolize the journey from addiction to recovery. The cracks in the letters represent mistakes made and lessons learned…weathered but unbroken. The gates are a symbol of the hope and healing found at Gateway. The burst that surrounds it signifies the new energy, purpose, and life that radiates from the individuals, families, and communities that experience recovery.
If you have questions about the event, please contact Abby Flood at aflood@gatewaytoprevention.org or 275-3391. For more information and resources on National Recovery Month, you can connect to www.recoverymonth.gov. If you or someone you know needs additional support or treatment for their substance use, please call us at 273-1170 x0. We are honored to walk beside you.
