10th Annual Tucson Recovery Walk Expo and Youth Rally

A consortium of community non-profit organizations planned a free, family-friendly event to celebrate recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness. The Tucson Recovery Walk, Expo and Youth Rally was an all-day event at Reid Park on September 27, 2008.  Hope Recovery, Inc., Compass Behavioral Health Care, La Frontera Center, CODAC Behavioral Health Services, Inc., Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, the Meth-Free Alliance Youth Committee, Pima County Youth Substance Abuse Committee, and the Gospel Rescue Mission have united to create this event in order to increase awareness of recovery from addiction and mental illness in the community. 

“September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month,” said Karen Chatfield, La Frontera’s committee representative. “During this month we like to bring attention to those people who have achieved recovery from addiction and mental illness and the joys they have experienced as a result of their recovery.  We want the public to know that treatment works and recovery is possible.”

In the past, the Hope Recovery Walk and Tucson Recovery Expo were separate events, sometimes held on the same day.  “”We decided to join forces and create one large event,” said Pastor Pete Moore of Hope Recovery.  “We got together after last year’s events and decided to take the best of both events and have one great event that will really bring attention to our message.”

The Meth-Free Alliance’s Youth Committee was planning to organize a youth rally for recovery, but when they heard about this event they asked if they could add their rally to the day’s schedule.  “This really rounds it all out,” said Ralph Morris, of the Pima County Youth Substance Abuse Committee.

The Recovery Walk and Expo is supported in part by a grant from the Aetna Foundation and funds from Community Partnership of Southern Arizona. For more information about the Recovery Walk, Expo and Youth Rally, contact Cynthia Klein at (520) 628-3411.

Compass Behavioral Health Care | 2475 N. Jackrabbit Ave. Tucson, AZ 85745 | (520) 882-5608 | infochc@compasshc.org