Tooele County Recovery Day Held with Drive-through Event During National Recovery Month
The Tooele Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium, a community-based network of providers, organizations and interested community members addressing the issues of opioids and overdose in Tooele County, sponsors Recovery Day on Saturday, September 26. The free event, held near the Stansbury Park clubhouse from 7 to 9 p.m., is intended as a community show of support, hope and healing for those working toward addiction recovery.
The Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention reported new numbers on opioid overdose increases in the Salt Lake area, calling it a pandemic within the pandemic.
Maren Wright Voss, professional practice Extension assistant professor of health and wellness and program organizer, believes Recovery Day and community awareness are needed to help turn the tide.
“With COVID-19 restrictions limiting our access to social support, we need to reach out to our neighbors in recovery now more than ever,” she said.
The unpredictability of the COVID virus has caused many communities to make the difficult decision to cancel National Recovery Month events in September, including the state’s largest recovery event, Salt Lake Recovery Day.
“Tooele County has decided to move forward with a socially distanced drive-through event because organizers feel recovery is too important to put on the back burner,” Voss said.
“Since this is the only in-person recovery day event being held in the area, we invite all our county neighbors to attend and celebrate recovery with us.”
The event includes access to naloxone overdose reversal medication, gun locks, community resources, a luminary celebration and a wall of remembrance. It also includes free food truck vouchers for all who register, provided by the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes and Warrior Spirit Recovery Center.
“We appreciate the community members and businesses throughout Tooele County who have contributed to the Recovery Day resource bags and to Stansbury Park for hosting this important event,” said Voss.
To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/118670274987. Contact Voss at 385-468-4841, Maren.voss@usu.edu, for further information.
Tooele Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium is part of the statewide Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative, housed in the Office of Health Equity & Community Engagement of the Utah State University Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Department of Kinesiology & Health Science, in partnership with USU Extension.
Writer: Julene Reese, 435-757-6418, Julene.reese@usu.edu
Contact: Maren Voss, 385-468-4841, Maren.voss@usu.edu