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The 11th Annual Cumberland Hope Community Walk for Recovery is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, to bring awareness to the issues of addiction and mental health.
Alma Taylor, Phase II Coordinator at Cumberland Hope Community, provided some details about the reason and goals of this year’s walk.
“September is recovery month,” Taylor said. “It’s just our way of celebrating recovery. A lot of people think it’s a 5K, but it’s not. Most people would call this a recovery rally, but we call it a walk because we’re having it at Huff Park, and we’ll walk around the track a few times.”
According to Taylor, walkers will carry lights to commemorate people who have passed away from addiction.
“During the walk, we’re going to have two guest speakers,” Taylor said. “There will be inflatables there for the children, there’s going to be vendors selling t-shirts and things like that. We’re also going to have resource tables set up.”
Taylor explained resource tables will be providing information about addiction and related issues. Organizations participating will include Harlan ARH Hospital, Harlan Recovery Services, Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, Operation UNITE, Harlan Drug Court, and others.
“This is to get it out there that substance abuse and mental health impacts everybody,” Taylor said. “It affects individuals, families, and communities throughout Kentucky. We want to put the word out that there is treatment for substance abuse and mental health.”
Taylor noted many Harlan organizations work together to address the issues of addiction and mental health.
“I’m very proud of our county,” Taylor said. “I think we all work together very well, from Drug Court to ARH, to Cumberland Hope Community, all these places and others come together, and I think we serve Harlan well.”
The walk is open to everyone.
“Anybody that wants to may attend – even if you’re not in recovery and you just want to come and support us – come out and celebrate your sobriety,” Taylor said. “We’re going to have a DJ, there will be food, resource tables, vendors, raffles…we always have a raffle with about 10 to 15 different things.”
The Walk for Recovery will be from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Huff Park located at 201 South Main Street in downtown Harlan. For more information, call 606-837-0100.