McAlister Institute will hold its augural 5K Walk for Sobriety (www.walkforsobriety.com) on Saturday, August 4, 2012 at NTC Park at Liberty Station. Proceeds from the event benefit McAlister Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the compassionate care and treatment of individuals and families suffering from addiction and homelessness. The Walk for Sobriety celebrates a clean and sober lifestyle and honors McAlister Institute’s 35 years in the community. In addition the event recognizes Jeanne McAlister, founder and CEO of McAlister Institute and San Diego’s Mental Health Person of the Year for 2010, who turns 80 years old in July, and has 55 years of sobriety.
“We’re excited to invite the San Diego community to join us in a celebration of hope and recovery,” said McAlister. “Too often the public chatter about the disease of substance abuse is based on negative events. We lose sight of the power of recovery and the thousands of people in our lives who dedicate themselves every day to staying clean and sober.”
McAlister noted that the Walk for Sobriety is a positive way to recognize and support the power of recovery.
“Each of us at McAlister Institute,” McAlister added, “is dedicated to helping individuals regain their lives by supporting the recovery process. We treat all clients with dignity and respect regardless of their background. Our belief is that recovery is a life-long process requiring a continuum of community support, and that those who are successfully navigating recovery provide the strongest models for hope and change.”
Presently, McAlister Institute serves more than 2,500 men, women, children and teens each month in San Diego County with inpatient and outpatient services and vocational training.
Registration fee for McAlister Institute’s Inaugural 5K Walk for Sobriety is $35 for adults and $5 for youth 12 years of age and under. For additional information and to register online, please visit www.walkforsobriety.com or contact Marisa at (619) 442-0277 ext 108 (marisa.varond@mcalisterinc.org)
