Ottawa rallies in support of addiction recovery

OTTAWA, Sept. 23, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - On Sunday, between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM, City Hall will be host to Recovery Day Ottawa, an annual event to raise awareness about addiction recovery.

Event Chair Gord Garner expects a significantly larger turnout than last year's 600 attendees, "This year we focused on engaging all citizens of Ottawa to be a part of our event. Recovery Day is not only for individuals affected by addiction, but for everyone who supports recovery. We believe that this support exists, but remains largely silent due to continued stigma surrounding addiction. By speaking out, we hope to erase this barrier, so more people know they can come forward to find the help they need."

Preparations for the event began in January with the launch of the #RecoveryAlly social media campaign. Photos taken during the campaign provide an opportunity for people from all walks of life to demonstrate their support. So far over a 1000 people have participated, translating into more than 4900 likes for the Recovery Day Ottawa Facebook page.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson will be on hand at the event to declare September 27 as Recovery Day in Ottawa. He will be joined by other members of city council and local MPPs and MPs.

The event will include a community fair with over 40 organizations who provide support and services to residents with addiction-related issues, including the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, the Ottawa Mission and the Sandy Hill and Centretown Community Health Centres. 

The event will also include speakers who are living in recovery. Chris Cull, who cycled across Canada to raise awareness about prescription drug misuse, is currently in the process of releasing Inspire, a documentary chronicling his journey. Ann Dowsett Johnston is the award-winning author of "Drink: The Intimate Relationship between Women and Alcohol." Veteran comedian Mike MacDonald will also be performing for the crowd.

For the first time, Recovery Day Ottawa will present an award to a member of the community for their commitment and perseverance towards addiction recovery. This year's recipient is Dave Smith, whose tireless efforts have earned millions of dollars for charity, and who is currently working to raise an additional 5 million to build a new 30-bed youth treatment centre in Ottawa West.

The Ottawa rally is the culmination of a series of Recovery Day events in 25 cities across Canada during the month of September.

The event is organized by the Community Addictions Peer Support Association (CAPSA Ottawa), whose mission is to empower individuals in or seeking recovery from addiction by helping them integrate into the broader community, through initiatives like Recovery Day Ottawa.

"Our society often focuses on the negative impact of addiction. We want to demonstrate that people can and do recover, and become productive members of our community. Our goal is to give people who are affected by addiction a vocal and visible voice," says Jason Miller, Chair of CAPSA Ottawa. 

SOURCE Community Addictions Peer Support Association

Gord Garner, [phone], [email protected], www.RDO2015.com, www.facebook.com/RecoveryDayOttawa, www.twitter.com/RDO2015, www.capsa.ca