LANCASTER, Pa. — On a rainy morning at Buchanan Park in Lancaster, the wet weather fit the theme of the day.
That's what recovery is, recovery is all about resiliency," said Scott Theurer, a member of the Recovery Day Lancaster planning team.
The 10th annual Recovery Day Lancaster required organizers to be more flexible than in years past, moving activities like the unity circle inside and out of the rain.
Just like the runners in this year's 5k race, Lancaster's recovery community is pushing on, supporting one another in their journey.
"There are so many people that do such hard work day in and day out," said Danene Sorace, mayor of the City of Lancaster. "Yes, early recovery is really hard. Sometimes the hardest thing is taking that first step."
Lancaster County Recovery Alliance organized the free event, featuring music, food and a group of advocates familiar with the challenges substance use disorders create.
"The message is loud and clear that there's hope and there's so many resources in Lancaster for people that are struggling with this illness," Theurer said.
The event gave visitors a chance to pose for a lighthearted photo or decorate a recovery rock to take home.
Organizers said conversations at these events promote an attitude of accountability and empathy.
"How we can overcome the stigma is by sharing more stories about the people who have overcome their addiction, their disease," Mayor Sorace said.
"Normalize the conversation, provide resources for people and just show that people do recover from addiction," Theurer added. "It happens every day, all the time. Then they thrive in our communities."