Alumni of The Florida House Experience, a drug and alcohol rehab center in Deerfield Beach, FL, regularly dedicate themselves to helping and supporting positive causes in the South Florida community. This past weekend, FHE Alumni attended Relay For Life where they helped with clean up, take down, and promotion of the charitable event.
Relay For Life is an organized, all night community fundraising walk comprised of teams that camp out around a track. Members of each team take turns walking around to raise money. Relay For Life includes food, activities, and entertainment in a family friendly environment making it something truly special. The Florida House Alumni showed up as a team, the theme was 90s hip-hop.
Giving Back To Get Better
Led by coordinators Meg McKenna, Josh Zeises and Molly Lauroesch, the Florida House Alumni stayed at Relay For Life through the entire night decked out in backwards caps and sunglasses. The group kept the vibe light and refreshing while throwing peace signs much like what you would see out of a Beastie Boys music video. And while it was a great way for the Alumni to get together, bond and give back to their community—the solemnness of what Relay For Life is about was not forgotten.
When asked how volunteering helps with sobriety, Director of FHE Alumni Meg McKenna responded, “We help others. It’s one of the most important aspects of recovery. We get out of our own “problems” by helping others and it not only gives us gratitude but helps us practice pure selflessness – doing for others without expecting anything in return… Helping others will do that.”
The impact of participating in community service and the benefits that Alumni receive from giving back makes events like Relay For Life even more special and essential to attend. Supporting and attending fundraisers and offering service at events like Relay For Life also help Alumni as recovering addicts and alcoholics.
“When we were in active addiction, we were so incredibly selfish and had no regard for anyone else. A huge part of being a recovering individual is to be of service to others, whether that is to another addict or alcoholic, or any other person that may be in need. Helping others is a huge pillar in our daily principles,” Molly explained.
Relay For Life A Major Success
As for the end result? The Relay for Life event was a huge success. Florida House Alumni alone raised nearly 4,000 dollars that will go towards researching a cure for cancer. On top of that, Alumni where able to connect with the South Florida community and strengthen the bond that they have built amongst themselves.
Members of Florida House Alumni clearly took a lot away from this event. When we asked Molly what the best moment of Relay for Life was she said, “The Survivor’s Walk. Everyone attending relay lines the track and cheers as the survivors do their own lap all together. Seeing all the men and woman that have survived their battle with cancer, whether it be 10 years ago or 6 months ago, walking together in unity is an incredible moment.”
FHE Alumni is a group of amazing individuals who are an important part of the community and its’ most important causes. Molly, one of three Alumni Coordinators at the Florida House told us how involved and positive the aftercare program truly is when she said:
“Florida House Alumni is a group that is open to anyone that has completed the Florida House Inpatient or Outpatient program. We host a meeting every week with a speaker and dinner, and every month we participate in a volunteer event as well as a fun event.”
With that we would like to say that we are extremely proud of our Florida House Alumni and what they do each month for the South Florida community, as well as the constant work they put into Recovery. FHE Alumni will continue to offer assistance and support for the issues that matter in our community while simultaneously spreading awareness and education about the disease of addiction.
Florida House Experience is Where People Get Better.
We will see you at the next event Alumni!