Turning Point Recovery Society

Turning Point Recovery Society (www.turningpointrecovery.com) held it's second annual Gala

Fundraiser at the Four Seasons Hotel tonight with MC Randene Neil from Global BC. Turning Point has been helping men and women recover from the disease of addiction and improving communities for over 26 years by providing abstinence based residential environments for people to begin recovery.

Christopher Kennedy Lawford, author of Symptons of Withdrawal and Moments of Clarity, was the keynote speaker. He certainly had my attention when he said that Marilyn Munroe had taught him to do the twist when he was six. Referring to Uncle Bobby he told how the loss of his two uncles and divorce of his parents had contributed to his eventual alcoholism and drug addiction. Starting life with wealth and fame and power he described how he lost everything to drugs and alcohol. C.S. Lewis said that "in adversity God shouts at us" and he described the "psychic change" that Carl Jung had talked about being necessary for the alcoholic to over come his addiction and leave his life of 'diminishing expectations'. "All alcoholics and addicts are running from something, he said, it's just that they're wearing different coloured running shoes." "My grandmother Rose Kennedy said, To whom much is given, much is expected". In his last 22 years of abstinent recovery he has become an activist. "Addiction is the single most important public health issue in Canada, United States and the World today." His talk was met with heartfelt applause and standing ovation from the many there who knew the truth of his message that 'stigma and stereotypes' blinded society to the severity of the brain disease of addiction that cost billions and ravaged the lives of so many.

Laura and I enjoyed the delightful company at our table, the delicious food, fine service and animated conversation. Government luminaries and who's who passed frequently as the invariable last minute jockeying for the silent auction took place. As announcements of the Canucks scores punctuated the evening the Canucks game tickets climbed to a thousand. Five thousand went on West Jet flight tickets in the open auction.

In the end some witch outbid me on the opera tickets and a real toad got the hockey painting I covetted. Meanwhile Laura must have been casting spells or dirty looks as for another year my bid for the Mary Kay stinky lotion stuff went unsurpassed. It was all round a grand night and truly one of the finest events of the season. Sincere thanks to Executive Director Brenda Plant and the board of Turning Point.