ST. GEORGE — While many stories of addiction include sadness and tragedy, the story of recovery shines a light through the darkness. And that’s a reason to celebrate.

“This is our 13th year and it’s been our biggest and most successful Recovery Day yet,” Drug Court Manager and Recovery Week Chair Mandee Krajnc said. 

September is Recovery Month, and this year’s Recovery Week kicked off on Sept. 13 with a 5k sponsored by Addict to Athlete. The week ended with a Recovery Day celebration at Vernon Worthen Park on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Krajnc said it was beautiful to see the number of people who came out to show their support for the recovery community.

“For so long, there’s been a stigma about recovering addicts,” Krajnc said. “They’ve always been pushed to the side and had to recover in silence. And now they’re recovering out loud, and they’re telling people their stories. There’s so much to celebrate and the more we get the word out the more it’s going to attract people into the recovery lifestyle.”

The entire event was completely free for all attendees, including free pizza, free face painting and free swag from the 40 attending vendors. Swag included T-shirts, hats, hoodies, pens and more. Attendees were seen lined up at the High Desert booth, where they received a customized hat. Customizations included picking their own color and High Desert patch, which was pressed right in front of them.

Vendors included treatment centers from all over Southern Utah, along with the Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and Narcotics Anonymous, NA, programs. The Dove Center was in attendance, along with Revival Recovery representatives from Rival City Church and many mental health facilitators.

Hope Rising Head Case Manager Jen Jones took the stage to welcome the crowd, and Krajnc read the Recovery Proclamation, which was first presented by St. George Mayor Michele Randall at a City Council meeting on Aug. 17.

The band Fast Eddie took the stage and provided live music throughout the event. The band’s lead singer Kirt Thompson performs every year for free, not only because he loves it but because his daughter Crystal, son-in-law Chris and his niece are all in recovery.

Jonathon MacArthur took the stage and shared his recovery story, which included parents who struggled with substance abuse, his attempted suicide, becoming a ward of the state, being introduced to methamphetamines by his father, multiple felony arrests, putting his children up for adoption and bouncing in and out of multiple treatment centers. It wasn’t until he stepped into Premier Counseling that his life changed for the better. He is now a Peer Support Specialist for Premier Counseling.

Vanessa McNeil spoke next about her recovery journey. She moved to St. George to find a way out of the grips of addiction. She immersed herself in the recovery community, and although she suffered many losses in her life, she found herself again through recovery and healing. She now works at High Desert Counseling as a case manager and peer support. 

Holly Keenan took center stage to deliver a powerful message about the challenges of loving someone in the throes of active addiction. Through the loss of close family members to addiction and the inspiring journey of others in recovery, she has an intimate understanding of the trials faced by those affected by addiction. She currently serves as a yoga instructor at High Desert Counseling in St. George and Cedar City.

The most interactive part of the event began when Shelley Larsen with Shake it with Shell Zumba took the stage. As the music started and the beat hit, the crowd went wild, dancing right alongside Larsen with big smiles on their faces.

An open mic section included Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness Peer Recovery Coach Crystal Randall’s nine-year-old son Clay Christianson, who was born on Recovery Day nine years ago. Christianson got up on stage and said, “I want to sing a song,” then sang “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs with his sister Lexi.

The event included prizes, and each attendee received a raffle ticket with a chance to win $2,000 in cash and prizes. With community donations and a goal to provide those in recovery with things they needed, prizes included Visa and Harmons gift cards and envelopes of cash. The youth drawing included gift cards to Fiesta Fun, Walmart, Target, Bahama Bucks, Swig and more.

Krajnc said the hardworking committee members that made the event possible came from various local treatment centers such as Hope Rising, Lions Gate, Steps Recovery, Painted Desert, Southwest Center and three members from USARA.

Southwest Center first started Recovery Day 13 years ago, and Krajnc said they always envisioned it would go out to the community, and the community would ultimately run it. And that’s exactly where it is now. This is the first year Southwest Center was able to take a step back and become a participant instead of a major player.

“I love hearing people’s stories and seeing people change,” Krajnc said. “It’s so important to celebrate the recovery in our community.”

For more information on Recovery Week and Recovery Day, visit the Southwest Utah Recovery Day Facebook page.

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