SEATTLE — This year's Recovery Day at the Mariners will highlight support for youth in recovery, along with celebrating the entire recovery community. The event, being held in Seattle on Sunday, Aug. 7, comes complete with speakers and a first pitch thrown and caught by members of BRIDGES, a Seattle-based alternative peer group.
Director of the King County Recovery Coalition Heather Venegas said the event is meant to bring people together and to share a message with the community that recovery is possible.
"To really work on reducing stigma; that's our primary purpose in holding the event, is really to be out, in public, with everyone else and be like here we are, look at us, we're in recovery and recovery is possible," Venegas said. "We want to spread hope, because a lot of messaging and stories have been around overdose and dying and death and the truth is that all of that happens but it's also possible to recover."
Recovery Day at the Mariners was launched in 2019 by the Washington Recovery Alliance. This year's event will start at 10 a.m. with a rally in Occidental Square, followed by a walk to T-Mobile Park for the game. Pre-game events will also include tabling and activities spotlighting access to resources.
"We just really want to be together, connect and celebrate and it helps us to see, we do recover, and life can begin in recovery," Venegas said. "That's not where it ends- that's where life starts."
This year there is a special spotlight on youth in recovery, including involvement by teens in BRIDGES. The organization offers wraparound services for youth in substance abuse recovery and their families, including meetings and activities meant to foster fun in safe, sober spaces. Teens have input into activities that are held, and involvement is voluntary- putting the emphasis on intentional connection. You can learn more about BRIDGES here.
More than 1,500 tickets have already been sold for the Recovery Day section. There still are more available here.