Paint the Town Purple was full of bubbles, '80s music and people supporting others. Many attendees wrote motivational phrases for those entering to see.
People of all ages danced to Prince songs Sept. 17 on the lawn of the Monroe County Courthouse as they came together to create a positive environment for anyone going through recovery. Many attendees were either survivors of addiction, in the process of recovery or allies for anyone going through the process.
The event marked the beginning of Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week.
Even though the opioid crisis has touched many in Indiana, the event tries to shine a positive light on the ongoing crisis.
“A lot of what we see in media is the struggle and suffering but the beauty is, there are 23 million people nationally in recovery and we are here celebrating that,” co-organizer Jackie Daniels said. “My favorite part is seeing people smiling and happy, celebrating recovery because we know what a gift it is.”
The event helped kick off the second annual South Central Opioid Summit this week. It was Prince-themed to honor the singer who died from an opioid overdose, co-organizer Amanda Barge said.
The summit took place from Sept. 18 to 19 at the Monroe County Convention Center.
It focused on the crisis, and those experiencing addiction or seeking sobriety. It examined issues around harm reduction, overdose prevention and treatment options.
More than 600 people marked that they were “interested” in the event on Facebook, and the event sold out.
This event was more than a celebration for anyone going through recovery. For Daniels, it marked 18 years since she was out of treatment. While attending IU, Daniels said she became addicted to alcohol, prescription drugs and marijuana at the age of 22.
“Instead of graduating, I got a ticket to rehab but it was the best thing to ever happen to me,” Daniels said.
Daniels is now the executive director of Indiana Center for Recovery and worked alongside Barge, who is a county commissioner, to organize Paint the Town.
The goal for the event was to not focus on the negatives of addiction but to celebrate all pathways to sobriety and give a different, more positive perspective to the process of recovery, Barge said.
Throughout the 12 years that Barge was a social worker, she became an advocate for ending the addiction stigma and working to prevent overdoses.
Barge said she wants to show the citizens of the county that the county government cares and is working on solutions every day.
“I want people to walk away with concrete ways they can take action in their community throughout the year to make things better for families and individuals who struggle with addiction and find ways to help out,” Barge said.
