Collegiate Recovery Community Hosting Tailgate Event Prior to Nov. 3 Home Football Game against Marshall
Tue, 10/30/2018 - 11:24am
The Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will host a tailgate party Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Spirit Park, located between the Thad Cochran Center and the LuckyDay building on the Hattiesburg campus, prior to the USM vs. Marshall University home Conference USA football game.
This event is open to students, faculty and staff, and community members, and will feature snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, games, and activities. Organizers of the event seek to raise awareness of addiction and recovery, and provide a sober alternative tailgating atmosphere that values acceptance and connectivity.
Although CRC tailgates have been held in the past, this will be the first on the tailgating grounds of USM. Previously, CRC tailgates were held at the Blue House, located in the residential area near the Hattiesburg campus.
“After speaking with the CRC advisory board, members, and supervisors, we decided to take this opportunity to bring a recovery-oriented event to campus to assist in reducing the stigma associated with addiction and recovery,” said Jack Howard, a graduate assistant for USM's Office of Health Promotion at the Moffitt Health Center. Howard is and a fourth-year year doctoral student in the USM Counseling Psychology program from Alpharetta, Ga.
The CRC at Southern Miss is a program for students in recovery from addiction, including alcohol, drugs and other behavioral or process addictions. It is designed to assist students with struggles they may have maintaining sobriety, while pursuing their academic goals. Within the CRC, students can engage with and seek support from students fighting the same battles, as well as have access to supportive faculty and staff members on campus.
CRC has partnered with Pine Belt Mental Health, Pine Grove, USM Student Counseling Services, “Step Up To Leadership” Council at USM, and the Therapeutic Recreation program at USM to host this tailgate party. For more information about this event, contact Howard at jackson.howardFREEMississippi. For more information about the Collegiate Recovery Community, visit https://www.usm.edu/student-health-services/collegiate-recovery-community.