DAYTON — FOA Families of Addicts is preparing for the 11th annual Rally 4 Recovery, which will be their biggest Rally to date with 73 different resource tables confirmed to be in attendance. The Rally is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 25 and will take place in downtown Dayton, on Courthouse Square at the corner of S. Main Street and Third Street. The event will begin at 2 p.m., with the first hour reserved for attendees to access the resource area, which will have information on treatment, recovery, and related support services. Official rally programming will begin at 3 p.m. and last until 6 p.m.
FOA Families of Addicts was founded in 2012 by Lori Erion. Although she was in long-term recovery herself, Lori struggled to comprehend and cope with her daughter’s heroin addiction. She started a small support group to help educate and empower those who had a loved one experiencing addiction. Today, FOA Families of Addicts has grown from that initial group of five family members and holds meetings in several different locations in both Ohio and North Carolina, runs FOA-LINK, a helpline for individuals and families impacted by addiction, provides emergency assistance to families in kinship care, and engages in advocacy work at the local, state and federal levels.
Every year, the Rally 4 Recovery serves as a celebration of recovery, an honoring of individuals and their families who have been impacted by addiction, a vehicle to eliminate stigma, and a source of education and resources for the community. “We are so excited for this Rally,” said Anita Kitchen, Executive Director of FOA Families of Addicts. “The theme this year is Together We Rise, and it speaks to the importance of involving the whole family and the whole community in the recovery process.”
The entire community is invited to attend the event, which will feature several speakers to share personal stories of recovery, perspectives from family members, and messages from local leaders and activists. Programming will culminate with the Rally’s signature sobriety countdown and BIG Picture. The anticipated 2,000 attendees will also have access to local food trucks and can participate in raffle drawings, sign memory and honor banners, and network with other families and individuals impacted by addiction. There will also be activities for children, such as face painting and balloon sculpting.
“For over 10 years, FOA has helped reduce the stigma associated with addiction, but more so, they have helped families get healthy. We are so excited to honor those who have recovered, remember the ones who have died due to the disease, and to supply resources to help people in hopes that we do not lose more lives. Most of all, we will be bringing the community together so families know they are not alone in this struggle,” said Anita Kitchen, executive director of FOA Families of Addicts.
