The South Shore had a recovery fest in 2022 called Recovery Rocks. The City of Waltham also sponsors an annual recovery fest. But according to Marissa Todisco, the president of Mario’s Mission, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources to those seeking treatment for substance abuse disorder, there didn’t seem to be similar events in the Peabody area. And so Todisco, along with fellow organizers Gina Goodwin of Gina’s Giving Back, a nonprofit that focuses on food insecurity, and Blake Rickerson, a documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on addiction, homelessness, and mental health problems, decided to create the upcoming Sober Bash, to be held on June 8, at Raddin Park.
According to Mass.gov, Massachusetts had a record 2,359 opioid-related overdose deaths in all of 2022. Todisco said that the event is largely to spread awareness, to give people who are still alive the second chance that they need, and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to substance abuse disorder. For Todisco personally, those are Cara Acone of Winthrop, Michael Cain of Charlestown, Roger Graham of East Boston, and Justin McRae of Woburn, and they will be honored at the event.
“There’s been a lot of young adults that have lost their lives to the opioid epidemic, roughly teens to mid-30s,” Todisco said. “This is a time for people to realize that we have a major problem in America, to remember the lives that we’ve lost, and try to filter out the people who were struggling and can get a second chance.”
Todisco also feels that there’s still a stigma around the disorder, and that similar to how people responded to COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic, now is the time to deal with substance use disorder without embarrassment.
“I think the community needs to be okay with people not being okay,” Todisco said. “Because accepting that there is a major public health crisis of the opioid epidemic seems to be somewhat frowned upon in certain areas of the community.”
Todisco also said that too many people are dying, leaving behind families and not being able to live up to their full potential because they didn’t have the resources to combat the disorder.
“It needs to be dealt with head on,” Todisco said.
At the event, there will be different vendors showcasing their businesses and selling items, and recovery center sponsors who will have tables where resources are available to those who need them.
“If someone is sober, curious and wants to get clean, wants to come down and see the resources that are available, they’re more than welcome,” Todisco said.
The event is free for the public, and there will be games such as cornhole, and food trucks. Todisco also said that they are still accepting sponsors and vendors until May 1 by emailing mariosmissionnp@gmail.com.
