03/19/2024
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The Color Run/Walk will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Registration for the color run is required on the day of the event at Shelter B in the park. The first 125 people to register for the Color Run/Walk will receive a free pair of sunglasses.

SeHealth Peer Specialist Benny Dimery will speak at Voices in Recovery, followed by an open mic opportunity for others to speak about their recovery experiences.

“Essentially, it’s a gathering to support each other,” said Tanya Underwood, who is the facilitator for the coalition and a community mobilization specialist with Southeastern Health’s Community Health Services department. “There will be light refreshments and free stress balls for the first 50 people who attend or throughout the day afterward.”

This September will be the 30th National Recovery Month sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

 “These events are for anyone who wants to celebrate recovery from substance use issues,” Underwood said. “That includes those in recovery, their family members, advocates, and anyone who supports the cause.”

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Attendees of the Color Run/Walk are encouraged to wear white or light-colored clothes.

“The awareness color for this cause is purple, so Youth Eager to Speak (YES) came up with the idea to ‘paint people purple’ to celebrate recovery,” Underwood said. “They also felt strongly the event should be for everyone regardless of physical ability, so participants can walk or run for as short or long a distance as they choose.”

YES is a youth group for middle and high school students who work with Robeson Health Care Corporation. As one of the nearly two dozen organizations that make up the Robeson Substance Use Coalition, YES brainstormed and will help lead the Color Run/Walk.

 “Hopefully, we will have good weather and this will be the first of many,” Underwood said. “In case of inclement weather, the event will be cancelled.”

This will be the second attempt to hold the Color Run/Walk, after last year’s event was cancelled because of Hurricane Florence. For the latest updates on the event, including weather updates, people can follow Robeson Substance Use Coalition on Facebook, @PaintRobesonPurple.

Followers of the Facebook page will also see an online Recovery Month project, Faces of Robeson Recovery, which will run in September. Based on the internationally popular Humans of New York photoblog, Faces of Robeson Recovery will highlight some local stories about recovery.

For more information on these events, contact Underwood at (910) 272-1177 or underw05@srmc.org.

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