DanversCARES Announces 7th Annual ‘Light The Night Purple’

DanversCARES, a dynamic community partnership that supports youth and families in making healthy decisions, announces the return of Light The Night Purple. The walk and community gathering, which raises awareness of opiate and other substance use disorders and encourages hope, help, and recovery, will be held on May 17, 2023, at the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers. The first 100 people will receive a free t-shirt.

“Recovery Centers of America is proud to once again be the title sponsor of the Light The Night Purple,” said Jameson Pinette, Chief Executive Officer of Recovery Centers of America at Danvers. “We work with people battling the disease of addiction every day and know firsthand how important it is for them to feel that there is support from their family, friends, and the community.”

The event starts at 6:30pm with walk registration, community resources, and lawn games. Brief remarks at 7:00pm will kick off the one mile walk through downtown. When walkers return, they will hear from one of the Danvers High School acapella groups, Christa Chirichiello, who will share her story of recovery, and a member of the clergy, followed by the lighting of luminaries.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to share hope through my recovery story,” said Christa Chirichiello, a Danvers High School graduate that works as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Recovery Centers of America at Danvers. “I saw my dependency on alcohol intensify over a decade with life threatening hospital stays and withdrawal seizures but didn’t want to admit losing control. Putting the work into recovery is worth it, and helping other people understand addiction has been my greatest personal and professional goal.”

Again this year, family and friends can show their support for a loved one in recovery from a substance use disorder at Light the Night Purple. For a donation of $15 you will receive a professionally printed personalized sign along the Light the Night Purple walk route. You can share a message of hope and support up to 50 characters in length. If you want to purchase a sign, please contact David Thomson at Davidthomson@danvers.org by May 8, 2023.

DanversCARES invites residents and businesses to support Light The Night Purple on May 17th. In addition to attending the event, some of the ways you can show your support include:

● Wearing purple or a purple ribbon (the color of recovery)

● Tie a purple ribbon around your lamppost, mailbox, door, or window

● Display a Light The Night Purple poster in your window (available upon request)

● Change one or more of your exterior lights to purple

In addition to Recovery Centers of America, other sponsors of Light The Night Purple include Beth Israel Lahey Health, Eliot Community Human Services, North Shore Bank, Danvers Community Access Television (DCAT), Office of the Essex County District Attorney, Kiwanis, Maple Street Church, Rockland Trust, and St. John’s Prep. For more information visit www.Danverscares.org.

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