Step Out of the Darkness, a day of prevention and recovery from addiction, will be the focus on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning at the Pontotoc County Courthouse in Ada and concluding at East Central University’s Kerr Activities Center.
The event will feature a prayer march, prevention and recovery rally, food, fun and facts, along with a grand prize drawing.
The Pontotoc County Prayer March, hosted by the Pontotoc County Drug Free Coalition, kicks off the event at 10:30 a.m. at the Pontotoc County Courthouse Plaza and ends up at ECU’s Centennial Plaza.
The march is designed to emphasize the importance of communities being united in spirit for prevention and recovery. Stops will be made along the way for times of prayer. Participants may park at the ECU Norris Field parking lot from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. as buses will transport the marchers to the Pontotoc County Courthouse Plaza.
At 11:30 a.m. the prevention and recovery rally will take place in the Kerr Activities Center. The purpose of the rally is to promote prevention and recovery and show support and be part of a community stand, admitting that we are all affected by addiction.
The food, fun and facts portion of the event, hosted by the ECU Brandon Whitten Institute for Addiction and Recovery, will begin at noon in the Kerr Activities Center. Food, games, events for family fun and information booths will be available.
Food will be provided by Citizen’s Bank of Ada, Roff Baptist Church and other local churches. A variety of local agencies and campus programs will host booths, providing facts about substance abuse, prevention, treatment and recovery. Various singers, dancers and others will also be on hand to entertain attendees.
A grand prize cash drawing will take place at 1:30 p.m. for those who participated in the march. For more information on the event call the Brandon Whitten Institute at 580-559-5815.