Run for Recovery will be a virtual 5K run/walk May 2 complete with an opening ceremony, swag and prizes for the winners.
The opening ceremony will be at 10 a.m. May 2 and feature speakers talking about the Recovery Resource Center’s purpose and students sharing their testimony. A horn will sound the beginning of the 5K and participants can choose to run or walk remotely at the horn or anytime within a week.
Participants can record their time with a free running app that keeps track of time and distance and take a screen shot to submit.Times will be posted May 10 with prizes for the top three male and female finishers, said Recovery Coordinator Thaddeus Rybka.
Swag is a custom headband from local business Walking Billboards for all participants that can be mailed or retrieved in a social distance safe manner.
The Run for Recovery is the Recovery Resource Center’s largest annual fundraiser generating income to help the center provide free services for students recovering from a substance use disorder. The center is also accepting general donations through the registration website.
The Recovery Resource Center has continued to provide services for students remotely during Minnesota’s stay at home order. The center offers five virtual meetings each week, including a campus AA and NA meeting that are open to the public.
The center also hosts a virtual lounge during business hours where students can check in to ask questions or get instant support. Game nights and Netflix group watching parties bring center members together virtually for connection in the evenings and weekends, Rybka said.
“It’s a tough time, especially for students in recovery,” he said. “Isolation and boredom can trigger a return to use or other unhealthy coping behaviors.”
The goal of the Recovery Resource Center is to offer students a semblance of normalcy by offering the same services remotely as best as possible so they still feel like part of the community and have some accountability as well.
“It’s been good so far,” Rybka said. “Throughout our recovery journey, we are taught to accept life on life’s terms. Though far from ideal, we’ve been able to make due – students are staying connected and staying safe. We are very resilient and perseverant people.”
