Region Recovery Riot

Something about The Recovery Riots energy, the beach, and all the vibes 🩷🩷🩷

A little over five years ago, a nurse practitioner—who had transitioned into teaching at a vocational school—reached out to me about providing a Narcan training for her students. It was right in the middle of Covid, so we had to do it in an untraditional way… Zoom. I wasn’t sure how it would land, but afterwards the feedback was powerful. The students said they appreciated learning from someone with lived experience, and how much it meant to hear non-stigmatizing, recovery-centered language. They were open, curious, and wanted to be part of creating more inclusive spaces.

What I never could have imagined is the journey that would follow. For the past four years, those same students have shown up at the Recovery Riot as volunteers. Year after year, they bring energy, compassion, and this steady willingness to jump in wherever needed. They’ve become the ones who pick up the pieces, put out the fires, and keep things running when chaos tries to creep in. Honestly, I don’t know if we could do it without them.

What touches me the most is that our connection hasn’t ended with graduation. We’ve stayed in contact with many of them through their college years—sometimes even joining their classes for interviews. And when the Riot rolls around, alumni return. They share how harm reduction shifted their perspective, how it continues to influence their studies, their professions, and how they walk through the world. To see young people carry those values forward—that’s impact. That’s legacy.

Thank you to the Hammond Career Center, for being the place where this all began—and as an alum myself, that means even more. ❤️

✨ Tomorrow is the big day! ✨

It’s hard to believe we’ve been hosting the Region Recovery Riot for four years. Each year has brought new barriers that made this event feel impossible—and yet, each year, it happens. 💜

New people connect. People feel proud and honored to be in attendance. The love and joy radiate through every part of the day.

🕛 Event Schedule
• 12:00 PM – Event begins
• 12:30 PM – Welcome ceremony & prayer led by Chris Williams to honor lives lost due to policy failure, followed by Compassionate Overdose Response Training with Van Asher (Harm Reduction Therapeutics)
• 2:30 PM – Native Plant Walk with Sandy O’Brian (did you know there are 27 plants native to this area?) 🌱
• 4:00 PM – Yoga & Sound Bath with Skye 🧘‍♀️🎶

🌟 Ongoing Activities
• Memorial Room (bring a photo or item for our altar)
• Free Food 🍽️
• DJ 🎵
• Face Painting 🎨
• Jumbo-size Jenga & Connect Four 🧩
• “Water Pong” 💦
• Silent Auction with local art 🖼️
• Raffle with great items 🎟️
• Professional Photographer 📸
• Lots of community, connection, and love 💜

📍 Location: Gary Aquatorium, 6801 Oak Ave, Gary, IN 46403
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Come join us in celebrating recovery, honoring lives, and building community. You belong here

🌟 This Saturday! 🌟
Join us for the Fourth Annual Region Recovery Riot at the Gary Aquatorium from 12–6 PM! 🎉

We are so grateful to our sponsors and supporters who make this day possible:
💛 SAFE
💛 Caramouse
💛 Aurelio's
💛 Limelight Recovery
💛 Domino’s
💛 Black Diamond Vintage
💛 F7 Entertainment
💛 A&W Catering
💛 Design for a Living

🙌 And a huge thank you to our vendors who will be in attendance:
SAFE • Limelight Recovery • 320 Recovery • Aliveness Project • Affordable Housing Living • Building Bridges Youth Services • Indiana Recovery Alliance • Gary Health Department • Gary Harm Reduction • Lake Area Recovery Group • Naranon • Central Service Office • Gatehouse Recovery • Heartland • HIV Modernization Movement • Carrying the Message Television Network LLC • Ironwood • F Fentanyl • Healthlinc • Affordable Living • Harm Reduction Therapeutics • Augustana Lutheran Church • Hammond Community Garden • Regional Mental Health • Planted Seen Ministries • Eden House

✨ This event brings together community, recovery, and harm reduction. Expect food, music, resources, memorial space, and connection. Together, we are stronger. 💪❤️

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 Gary Aquatorium, Marquette Park
⏰ 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

The Recovery Riot is in the local PanoramaNOW Magazine. September is National Recovery Month, bringing visibility to the recovery community, local resources and allies. Come visit this peer-led movement, here to help one another.

Annual Region Recovery Riot Resource Fair - PanoramaNOW Entertainment News 09/06/2025 @ 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Gary Harm Reduction is a grassroots, peer-led organization dedicated to preventing overdose deaths and supporting people who are unhoused with essential survival supplies. Their 4th Annual Region Recovery Riot is in celebration of National Recovery Month - bringing....

We are 19 days away from our 4th annual Region Recovery Riot. We had 4 vendors sign up just yesterday, and we have room for many more! Please come and showcase your services that can be of assistance to the community in NWI!

We are also looking for volunteers, and donations of raffle items. We have some cool ones already donated from local artists and authors.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-recovery-riot-vendor-sign-up-tickets-1253507337189?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Fourth Annual Region Recovery Riot is quickly approaching! 🎉
This special event is our way to honor National Recovery Month and bring our community together.

We already have so many amazing vendors signed up, including:
• Gary Health Department
• Central Service Office
• Gatehouse Recovery Home
• Eden House Recovery Home
• Harm Reduction Therapeutics
• Indiana Recovery Alliance
• Lake Area Club
• SAFE
• Regional
• Fck Fentanyl

There’s still plenty of time to sign up as a vendor!
📌 Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-recovery-riot-vendor-sign-up-tickets-1253507337189

⸻

🌊 Hello! We’re currently looking for vendors for our 4th Annual Region Recovery Riot at the beautiful Gary Aquatorium on the shores of Lake Michigan.

We’d love to invite your agency to attend as a vendor and share the supportive services you offer to the community. It’s a powerful opportunity to connect, uplift, and celebrate recovery together. 💛

📅 Event Date: Saturday, September 6
📍 Location: Gary Aquatorium, Marquette Park
🎟️ Vendor Sign-Up:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-recovery-riot-vendor-sign-up-tickets-1253507337189

Region Recovery Riot Vendor Sign Up Get ready to join us at the Region Recovery Riot Vendor Sign Up event, where local businesses can showcase their products and services to su

We warmly welcome you to attend, vend, or sponsor this year’s 4th Annual Region Recovery Riot, happening on Saturday, September 6th, from 12 PM to 6 PM at the historic Gary Aquatorium on the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” While this isn’t a traditional riot, it is a gathering of people whose voices are too often unheard—people with lived and living experience with substance use.

We believe in honoring those voices and building community rooted in hope, connection, and recovery.