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To raise money for a recovery center, the Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships will be hosting their first Recovery Gala.
Slated for Saturday, Sept. 20, participants can dress in semi-formal
attire to enjoy an alcohol-free night while raising money for a recovery center in Blair County.
For people struggling with addiction and substance abuse, the center will be a "safe space" to support them in their journey to recovery, according to Judy Rosser,
executive director of Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships.
There, she said, resources such as job searching, housing options and interviewing techniques will be available, as well as support and recovery meetings.
Rosser said the center will help Blair County residents struggling with addiction "flourish and move forward in their recovery."
"I think a center like this would open people's eyes to the fact that people in recovery need help," advisory board member Holly O'Connor said.
Rosser's idea for a Blair County recovery center has been in her treatment plan for four years.
Over the last 10 years, she said the program saw how recovery centers not only help with treatment but also with the recovery process. According to O'Conner, some members have visited nearby community recovery centers, and "they said, 'this is exactly what we need'" in Blair County.
The gala is the partnership's "kickoff" event, which will make the community aware of their goal of bringing a recovery center to Blair County, Rosser said, adding, "we need to raise some money to support it."
O'Conner said funds raised at the gala will go toward purchasing a building for the center. They are also in search of grant opportunities at the federal and state level to assist the additional funding, Rosser said. The purpose of the night is about "raising money and having a good time," O'Conner said.
Since September is recovery month, Rosser said the program usually hosts some type of "extravaganza" that month; the gala is no exception to this rule.
Following dinner at 6 p.m., there will be speakers, music and a silent auction throughout the night, which will wrap up at
9 p.m.
O'Conner said while guests might attend for the food and dancing, she believed people should attend the gala because substance abuse is "taking people away from our community."
"Kids are losing parents," Rosser said. "This is something that touches a lot of people in our community."
O'Conner hopes the gala raises awareness about supporting the Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships' recovery center.
"The community needs to understand it makes sense to get involved," she said, "and help the community and these people become productive."
If you go
What: Recovery Gala
When: 5 p.m. Sept. 20
Where: Altoona Grand Hotel
Tickets: $55 for general admission; visit https://www.blairdap.org