8th Annual Changing the Face of Addiction Walk set for August 6

The Center for Prevention & Counseling invites the public to attend the eighth annual Changing the Face of Addiction Walk presented by Thor Labs on Saturday, August 6, at 10 a.m. The walk begins and ends at the Franklin Firemen’s Memorial Park Pavilion at the intersection of Parker Street and Buckwheat Road in Franklin, NJ.

Light refreshments, children’s activities, a music DJ, an ice cream truck, and an appearance by the Center’s Rex-4-Recovery T-Rex mascot will be present at this family-friendly event. Participants may register to walk in-person or virtually in their community as individuals ($25) or families ($50). Options to create or join an existing walk team are available. Walk-in registration opens at 9 a.m.; however, the organizers recommend pre-registering at recoverywalk.org to save time. All walkers will receive an event t-shirt while supplies last.

The walk route is an easy 1.5-mile loop through the town of Franklin, with traffic support provided by representatives of nearly every Sussex County law enforcement agency.

The Changing the Face of Addiction Walk serves to remember the lives lost to addiction and overdose and aims to reduce the stigma of addiction by promoting the message that most people with substance use disorders recover when support services are available and attainable.

“It’s important to remember that people are people, and when we put a label on someone, it takes away their identity. We are all so much more than that,” said Katie Walker, recovery specialist supervisor and a person in long-term recovery.

“We might have an idea of what the face of addiction looks like, and often that idea is driven by stigma and stereotyping. This walk aims to change that,” said Walker. “I’m the face of recovery, and I’m just one of 23 million Americans in recovery, and that’s what the mission of this walk is all about. More people are living in recovery than in active addiction. We’re walking on August 6 to make it easier for people affected by substance use to reach out for help.”

iHeart Media Radio WNNJ 103.7 morning host, Jim Borasio, Jr., will emcee the event. Guest speakers Borasio and Mark Lindsay Jr. of Mark Lindsay and Son’s Plumbing and Heating will share their personal experiences with addiction recovery. Senator Steve Oroho will give opening remarks, and Father Robert Griner, recently retired from Christ Episcopal Church of Newton, will offer a blessing.

The Center for Prevention & Counseling has been using a whole-community approach to foster addiction-free lives for nearly 50 years. Funds raised through this event help provide youth programs to prevent early-onset substance use, counseling for adolescents and adults, and recovery services for individuals and families seeking help for substance use disorders and maintaining healthy recovery.

Presenting sponsor Thor Labs; Community Champion sponsors Kevin Rudolph, Royal Buick GMC, Mark Lindsay & Son Plumbing & Heating; Media sponsor iHeart Radio of Sussex; and 40 additional community sponsors helped make this event possible. The Center hopes to achieve its goal of raising $100,000 this year.

To register for the Changing the Face of Addiction walk, visit recoverywalk.org. For more information, contact email shannon@centerforprevention.org or call 908-795-8823.