Despite the gusts and rain of Hurricane Ophelia, the spirits of Odyssey House employees and their families, program staff and clients from other NYC-based treatment agencies, friends and family of people in recovery, and our corporate partners remained high as they gathered for our 18th Annual Run for Your Life event on September 23, 2023.
WPIX-TV news reporter James Ford emceed the event, which, along with the 5K fun run and recovery walk, included carnival games, arts and crafts activities, a health fair, and a silent auction. Most of the activities took place in the concourse beneath the stadium bleachers, shielding many participants from the rain. Nevertheless, the walk and run unfolded in the open, where Odyssey House’s President and CEO, Dr. Peter Provet, noted that the participants demonstrated their resilience in the face of the elements.
“All of our friends here, our colleagues, people in recovery – they’ve seen tougher times. A little bit of rain, that does not stop us,” said Dr. Provet.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams said, “When we address the root causes of addiction, we open up new pathways to hope, opportunity, and prosperity. Odyssey House hosts its 18th annual Run for Your Life today at Icahn Stadium, which encourages holistic health and wellness in addition to family and community involvement. On this occasion, I am pleased to applaud this organization for its commitment to effective, equitable, and evidence-based treatment.”
A big thank you to our sponsors, who helped make this special day possible, including Precision Pharmacy, Damian Family Care Center, RSM, ABA Builders, Cooling Guard, Art-Tech Construction, Gallagher, LabCorp, and Urban Architectural Initiatives. And thank you to our treatment partners – Phoenix House, Outreach Project, Promesa, VIP Community Services, Exponents, and Educational Alliance – for joining us to promote our shared mission of guiding troubled New Yorkers to a healthy recovery.