Hazelden's Springbrook campus reached out to alumni and the recovery community on July 18 as more than 500 people turned out for fellowship and fun at the fifth-annual Ice Cream Social and Barbecue.

Recovery comedian Mark Lundholm filled the audience with laughter, and a touching ceremony honored Mel Schulstad with the first CARE Northwest Award. The CARE Award stands for Consistent Activity in Recovery and Education and recognized Schulstad for outstanding service to the recovery community. Schulstad is a regular volunteer at Springbrook and is chairman of the Seattle-based Alliance for Recovery. In 1973, he cofounded the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors.

The Friday evening event was the kickoff to the annual alumni reunion on Saturday that featured a workshop by Hazelden author Karen Casey. "The power of community was in evidence throughout the weekend, where groups of alumni met up with the friends they made during their treatment stay," said Debbie Voorhees, coordinator of the event.

Published Summer 2008, The Voice