The inaugural No Shame November 1-mile walk is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex, 4900 Byrnesville Road, in House Springs.
Sana Lake Recovery Center in Dittmer is sponsoring the event, which was created to help end the stigma associated with substance use disorders.
“There’s still a stigma tied to people who live with some type of substance use disorder, whether it’s alcohol use disorder, opioids,” said Megan Dyer, marketing coordinator for Sana Lake Recovery Center. “What this is really about is bringing people together to encourage folks to reframe their thinking on substance use disorders.”
The walk is free and no pre-registration is required, she said.
Dyer said she hopes the event also helps people reach out for help if they need it.
“We want people to feel empowered and encouraged to reach out for help because it’s a disease, and even though society doesn’t always view it that way, we want to change the way folks view it,” she said.
Dyer said several vendors with resources to help those with substance use disorders will be at the event.
She said T-shirts will be sold for $20.
In addition, raffles will be held. One of the prizes will be Blues hockey tickets.
The money raised at the event will be donated to the Ken Reitz Foundation and will fund treatment scholarships at Sana Lake and other treatment facilities in the St. Louis area, Dyer said.