There wasn’t a potato sack or three-legged race to be seen at the Last Door Recovery Society’s annual sports day in Moody Park, but folks were still having a ball.
Instead, Saturday’s event featured challenging activities like ancient war games, capture the flag, human foosball, a Tough Mudder styled obstacle course, volleyball, flag football and bubble ball.
“We had a lot of fun,” said Giuseppe Ganci of the Last Door Recovery Society. “It’s our sports day. We team up with Westminster House, Last Door and a lot of the families who participate in our family program. We create teams. There was 20 teams with about 15 people on each team. It’s a full-on challenging sports day – no three-legged races. It’s like full on.”
Some people attending the sports day were a week clean, while other participants had been clean and sober for years.
“It’s one of those things to try and get people into a healthy environment and get them active again,” Ganci said. “Some of these people haven’t moved much in a really long time. It’s getting them active again, building new memories, having their families show up and it has nothing to do with addiction and it has everything to do with a fun weekend.”
Sports day also helps to motivate folks in the recovery community to get active and consider going back to the gym and get healthy.
“You pretty much have to forget about using when you have somebody in a bubble chasing you,” Ganci said. “It’s one of those things where addicts get stuck about thinking and using - How am I going to use again? How am I going to get money? And you are constantly in that grind. When you have an event like this, it takes your mind off of that. It’s a little bit of a reprieve – like, I am a normal person.”
There’s won’t be any bubble balls at the upcoming Recovery Day B.C. street festival in uptown New West – but there will be plenty of fun and information. The Sept. 10 event features a family/kids zone, a street fair with more than 50 vendors and service providers discussing recovery options, local entertainment, TEDx-style speakers and a performance by Bif Naked and her full rock show.
“There are a lot of services in B.C. B.C. is one of the best provinces in Canada to offer addiction services,” Ganci said. “On Saturday, Sept. 10, it is going to be showcased.”
Ganci said the festival has grown bigger than organizers had ever expected and they’re thrilled that Bif Naked will be taking to the stage.
“She is adding a bit of a Canadian rock legend to the stage,” he said. “She is straight edge. She supports living a life substance free, so we are excited to have her as our headliner.”
The Recovery Day B.C. street festival takes place in uptown New Westminster near Sixth and Sixth on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 2 to 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
“We want recovery allies to come,” Ganci said. “The event has many facets. It’s an event for people in long-term recovery to celebrate their successes. It’s also for those who have lost loved ones to visit a memorial section. We have a memorial candle that’s lit and people can leave messages of hope. We also want people to come into the wellness centre to learn about recovery services and learn about what they can do to help stop this epidemic.”
