The Center for Health Promotion and Wellness hosted its tenth annual Run for Recovery 5K on Saturday, Aug. 26 at The Perch to kick off National Recovery Month and raise money for students in recovery.
The event served as a fundraiser to contribute to several upcoming events, projects and regular professional staff and services focused on assisting students recovering from addiction or eating disorders.
Sherry Grable, director of The Center for Health Promotion and Wellness, also recently accepted a mini-grant of $2,000 from the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse that will add to this funding.
The grant serves to promote the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance abuse disorders, celebrating people in recovery and promoting the message that recovery is possible in our communities.
Bethany Wheeler, a dietitian at The Center for Health Promotion and Wellness, said the money from both the event and the mini-grant will help fund other events.
Two of those events are Love Your Body Week, a program during National Eating Disorder Week in February aimed at promoting body appreciation and body diversity, and The Body Project, a selective eating disorder prevention program for people with body dissatisfaction.
It will also provide funding for nutrition counseling, cooking demos, nutrition therapy and eating disorder recovery support services for students.
The Run for Recovery also raises awareness of addiction and eating disorders amongst students and those in the community. Wheeler said there are currently 60 students in the KSU Collegiate Recovery Community who are in recovery from addiction or an eating disorder.
According to the Eating Recovery Center, more than 30 million people in the U.S. will have an eating disorder, and over 70 percent of those with eating disorders will not seek treatment due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of education, diagnosis and lack of access to care.
“The prevalence of substance use disorders is high and it is important for those with substance use issues to know they are not alone,” Grable said. “Run for Recovery is a way to bring organizations together to help educate the community and to provide and promote resources that support recovery.”
Runners at the event were cheered on by Scrappy, KSU’s mascot, KSU cheerleaders and other members of the community as they crossed the finish line. At the awards ceremony, participants were also able to take photos with Scrappy and the cheerleaders.
Kennesaw resident Harrison Kirigwi took first place, crossing the finish line in less than 16 minutes. Sandy Springs resident Bethany LeBlanc, who finished the race in less than 19 minutes, received the award for overall female runner. All other awards were given in separate age categories.
The Center for Health Promotion and Wellness also added a one-mile walk option to the event this year in order to welcome people of all fitness levels from the community to the event.
“The Run for Recovery is an ideal way to celebrate recovery by bringing families, communities and individuals of all ages and backgrounds together to celebrate the power of recovery,” Grable said. “Recovery emerges from hope and is fostered by respect.”
