While much of our attention has rightly been focused on fighting the COVID-19 health crisis, another ongoing health emergency continues to take lives: the opioid epidemic.
From 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, to 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, Raleigh ultra-marathoner Jon Frey plans to run for 24 continuous hours at Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood Cemetery, as he seeks to raise money for Healing Transitions. Organizers plan to host the event regardless of weather: rain, sun or snow.
Healing Transitions, offers peer-to-peer, recovery-oriented services to homeless, uninsured and underserved individuals with alcoholism and drug addiction. The nonprofit offers its services at no cost. The organization serves over 300 men and women each day, and 76 percent of the program’s graduates remain drug- and alcohol-free after one year.
Frey entered Healing Transitions’ long-term recovery program in August 2016 and has been in sustained recovery since then. Running has played an important role in his life, even before recovery. Once he began the program at Healing Transitions, he started using long-distance running as a tool for his recovery.
Today, Frey dedicates his life to fitness, helping others in their recovery and giving back to his community. He ran his first 100-mile race in the spring of 2018, and this summer, he finished his eighth 100-mile race and became the first person to finish and win the Three Bears 100 — a 100-mile race in Idaho. He finished the ultra-marathon course in 27 hours. He has completed five 100-mile ultra-marathons and nine other marathons under 100 miles.
As of early December, Frey and his supporters had raised more than $19,000. Since the first Oakwood24 run in 2018, Frey and his supporters have helped raise over $140,000 to support Healing Transitions’ work.
There will be delicious local food, music and entertainment for everyone, and members of the community are encouraged to come out and support Jon as he runs. Masks and social distancing will be required for all participants, and runners will be asked to sign up for time slots to avoid gatherings during the event. Healing Transitions is encouraging individuals to support the event, in-person or at home, by using the hashtag #MyOakwood24. Whether you run a 24K, bike 24 miles, meditate for 24 minutes, or do 24 push-ups in honor of someone in recovery – you can join the online campaign!
For more information about Oakwood24, or to donate, please visit: healing-transitions.org/oakwood24/.
