September 10, 2011, 2-7 p.m.

Roger Williams National Memorial Park, Providence

We are writing to you today as representatives of the Rhode Island Recovery Month Coalition to seek your support of The Rhode Island Rally for Recovery, our states celebration of National Recovery Month. Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of treatment for substance use disorders and mental health problems, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health; that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can, and do recover. SAMHSAs 2011 theme, Recovery Benefits Everyone says it all. Please consider supporting our 9th Annual Rally being held on Saturday, September 10th from 2 7 p.m. at the Roger Williams National Memorial Park in downtown Providence. We are very proud of this event, especially since we were chosen as the 2010 Best Recovery Rally in the US by SAMHSA. We were the first state in the nation last year to bring together diverse segments of the recovery community by including the mental health and developmental disability population along with individuals recovering from alcohol and other drug addictions. Behavioral health treatment providers, family members, friends and advocates of recovery, and our partners in government all came to celebrate the commitment that we share in the recovery movement. This event has grown every year since it was first held on a small patch of grass outside the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals in 2003, to last years event, which drew over 3000 people. This year, we are cosponsoring WaterFire and anticipate the rally to be bigger and better than last! We are planning what is sure to be another successful event and hope that you will be part of our 9th Annual Rally for Recovery. Our Rally for Recovery is a free, family-friendly festival with great activities for the kids including arts & crafts, face painting, a reptile show, toys & balloons, rock wall and more. It is also an educational event, which seeks to raise awareness about drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and the journey of recovery. Last year, over 80 organizations from across Rhode Island set up information tables to help us share this message. Our program includes a great line-up of national and local speakers, lawmakers, advocates and individuals sharing their personal stories of recovery. The 2010 Rally, for the first time, had participation from the National Guard and had a procession to WaterFire Providence, with over 100 people carrying dedications and luminaria candles that were placed at Memorial Park in memory of friends and family that have passed. Please join us, in celebrating National Recovery Month. The Rally for Recovery is not a fundraising event and it is free to all who come. We do however seek underwriting support to offset increasing costs associated with organizing this event. A complete list of sponsorship opportunities is attached and any level of support is truly appreciated. Funds raised in excess of those needed to organize this event will be used to provide recovery support services to those in need. Thank you very much for your consideration of our request and we look forward to your support this year. Please call Connie Cirelli at 401-462-2339 or Lisa Stevens at 401-462-6951 to discuss any questions you may have.
Thank you, RI Recovery Month Coalition
RI Recovery Month Coalition c/o RICARES 200 Metro Center Blvd Unit 10 Warwick, RI 02886 401-521-5759