September is celebrated as National Recovery Month (NRM), and Rhode Islanders couldn’t be happier to show their support for those suffering with addiction. The nationwide movement orchestrated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), under the United States Department of Health & Human Services will be celebrating NRM’s 30th Anniversary by bringing events to each state.

According to recoverymonth.gov, the NRM program began in 1989 under the name “Treatment Works!” During that time, the organization would honor “the work of substance use treatment professionals in the field.” Later in 1998 the program changed its name again to “The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month” in order to incorporate the involvement of substance use disorders. Finally in 2011 the group settled on the name “National Recovery Month” in order to include mental illness as well.

This year’s theme is, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger” and on recoverymonth.gov it states that the focus will be on “community members, first responders, the healthcare community, and youth and emerging leaders highlighting the various entities that support recovery within our society.”

Rhode Islanders and volunteers from the organization of Rally 4 Recovery can look forward to raising awareness on each Saturday in September at; the rear parking lot of Warwick Mall in Warwick on September 7 from 2 to 6 p.m.; WaterFire at the Turks Head Building in Providence on September 14 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; the Bristol Town Common in Bristol on September 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Aquidneck Island in Pottsy Field, Middletown on September 28 from 12 to 4 p.m.

This will be the second year in a row that the opening ceremony will be held in Warwick, said President of the Rally 4 Recovery in Rhode Island, George O’Toole. “We have a bouncy house in the kids area, free food all day, a motivational speaker in recovery, and local vendors like CODAC.”

The opening event will feature the Mayor and other officials from the Governor’s office speaking about recovery and addiction. Afterwards the names of those who have died within the last year as a result of addiction will have their names recited. Vendors like CODAC and the Anchor Recovery Community Center will also be there to council and talk with families who are currently suffering, or have suffered with addiction.

Although O’Toole foresees about 500 residents and volunteers showing up for the Warwick rally, he expects that 7,000 people will attend the event in Providence. He says that this is “because people are coming from all over the state to the Providence rally, whereas Warwick will just have a majority of Kent County involved. The Providence event is also more involved. This year we’ve partnered up with WaterFire, so we expect the turnout rate to be really high.”

O’Toole also remarks, “It’s just about having a good day, having a good time, and bringing the community together to raise awareness for substance abuse.”