DAYTON — FOA Families of Addicts is celebrating a decade of saving families with their 10th annual Rally 4 Recovery, scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 27. The Rally is co-sponsored by DeCoach Recovery Centre 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 1pm, 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 2pm and last until 6pm.
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 6 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.
“I am incredibly proud of every person who has helped FOA reach its 10th anniversary of supporting anyone touched by addiction. We have saved marriages, been a crucial stepping stone for those in recovery, helped hundreds of family members navigate the addiction treatment landscape, and taken thousands of calls, texts and messages from people needing support, treatment and community resources,” said Lori Erion.
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. “Over the last 10 years we’ve seen addiction tear families apart but what’s also true is FOA has put countless families back together. The impact FOA has in the Miami Valley area is enormous and we can’t wait to see what they do over the next decade,” said Aaron Laine, Chief Marketing Officer of DeCoach Recovery Centre.
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 ten years, FOA has helped reduce the stigma associated with addiction, but more so, they have helped families get healthy. This Rally 4 Recovery is going to be a large celebration 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.
