Addictions Recovery Walk raises awareness on local substance abuse, building recovery community in Cape Girardeau

Around 100 community members and organizations came together with a large network of peers living in recovery in Southeast Missouri to raise substance-abuse awareness during the fifth annual Addictions Recovery Walk.

Recover Out Loud Harm Reduction and Recovery Services held the annual awareness walk Saturday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.

The group is a not-for-profit "committed to reducing harm and providing evidence-based education, advocacy and direct services to people who use drugs, people with substance abuse disorder and community members," according to group's Facebook page.

This year's theme was "Break the Stigma," because the walk aimed to "unite people from across the region to bring awareness to Southeast Missouri's substance use disorder crisis and provide hope showing the community that recovery is possible," according to the group's Facebook page.

The evening began with a walk from Capaha Park to Houck Stadium and back, where several local resource organizations set-up booths and provided information materials, such as Cape Pride, Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri and more.

Jamie Gooch and the Grass Fed Funk perform during the fifth annual Addictions Recovery Walk on Saturday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.Submitted

Recover Out Loud executive director Kristi Booth said the event also aimed to break the stigma behind recovery from addiction, and bridge the gap between the local community and recovery community.

"It's important for somebody who is thinking about recovery or in a place to find recovery to see that you can have fun in recovery -- you don't have to use, you don't have to get hammered to have fun," Booth said. "We want people to be proud of their recovery, and people in treatment centers need to see that there's a larger community outside of their center that is doing things and living life and not just surviving, so we need to have more events so they can come and be part of the community."

Booth said this year's event was a little different from previous years because of increased outreach efforts to community organizations and treatment centers so individuals in recovery could build connections.

Food was also available for purchase and live music was provided throughout the evening by Jamie Gooch and the Grass Fed Funk.

To close out the event, several members of the local recovery community shared their stories of substance use and addiction, and how recovery improved their lives.

Saki Ligonis, certified peer specialist at Gibson Recovery Center in Cape Girardeau, brought several of the center's residents out to enjoy the event.

Ligonis said after 25 years of substance abuse, he's proud to say he's a recovering drug addict and alcoholic himself, and has been in recovery for several years now. His job at the center is to share his "lived experience with addiction and recovery" with residents and outpatient members of the center.

"Events like these give our guys fellowship and help build awareness," Ligonis said. "Fellowship goes a long way in recovery, and events like this will help us hopefully break the stigma that surrounds substance abuse."

For more information on Recover Out Loud Harm Reduction and Recovery Services, visit www.facebook.com/showmerecovery.