Turning Point Recovery Society is the gold standard for recovery housing and programs in the province. It was especially fine to see the support of present BC PremierJohn Horgan as in previous years governments have rallied to the excellence and success of Turning Point. The Four Seasons venue and fine food offering is certainly an attraction. Elegance is appreciated given the road to recovery often starts on the streets with homelessness, alcoholism, or a bloody needle. The present Fentanyl epidemic is especially grim.
Thanks to the love and experience of Turning Point so many facing ‘incomprehensible demoralization’ begin the road back from the brink. The videos showed tonight told the stories of such individuals. Nadine who’d lost everything before Turning Point was there tonight, years later a fine and sober mother and great employee of a local community clinic. It’s a heart warming tale.
As ever the silent auction was the best with amazing offerings. I was thankful to win tickets to Bard on the Beach and Firehouse Theatre.
Howard Blank is the auctioneers auctioneer coaxing thousands of dollars more support for the big items, Whistler, and Victoria Retreats, Paul Simon concert tickets, Red Rock Casino and Cloverdale Race tickets. . “For an extra thousand” Howard rumbled, " we’re have you on stage as one of the back up singers! “If you just add another $500 we’ll put you on a horse behind the jockey at the Cloverdale races.”
This year Chris Gailus of Global News BC mc’d to resounding applause. The West Jet, ticket for 2, draw was especially appreciated.
Willy Percy and Alice Anderson then sat with Alice Cooper in a cozy fireside chat format. What followed was utterly enthralling, the grandfather of shock rock revealing the behind scenes history of rock and roll..
37 years sober. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he’d had 27 albums, many of those platinum, but he said, “It could have only been 4 albums if I kept drinking. I ended up in hospital and it had all caught up on my liver and pancreas …I had to stop and I did.”
He told stories of those years with his friends Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and others who didn’t make it. They were all dying at 27 or 28. “I thought it was part of the job, drinking, drugs and fooling around”.
“What I liked most,” he said, " was meeting the classics” He told sometimes crazy zany stories of escaped snakes and toilets, haunting tales of meeting a young Elvis and older Mae West. His stories of the Vampires, Johnny Dieppe and drummer Keith Moon, the Manson Hippy girls, the night the band inconceivably was photographed with Anne Murray, his neighbour Frank Zappa and his other neighbour Elton John’s garage sale.. It was so intimate, like stories family share yet not like just any family for sure. Especially with friends like Jim Carry.
It was heart warming though to hear that Groucho Marx had seen his show, famous for guillotines and gore , and thought it ‘good vaudeville.” Frank Sinatra praised his dancers who glowed to hear such praise from the one and only
One night he had a helicopter drop hundreds of pairs of panties from the sky while a camel walked on the stage. Stories of the Beatles, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Each so personal, and kind. Willy Percy, a life long fan, summed it up by saying though he loved Alice Cooper, he most loved the compassion, genuineness, and caring human who spoke so fondly of his wife and children.
Alice Cooper's father, a pastor, had told him he loved the show and he loved the music but he couldn’t condone the lifestyle.
Alice Cooper is still the greatest of story tellers. He came alive mostly talking about recovery and helping others. He used the word miracle for the loss of his own craving. “I had a beer before I opened my eyes and always had a buzz on for years.” He carried the message throughout the world to so many who had suffered the pain of this disease. He described it as a part of recovery to give back and carry on. He helps kids with addiction.
It was an honour to hear his testimony, to stand with the hundreds there this night to applaud. We applauded also Brenda Plant and Turning Point for their great work and this gala. We had gathered together celebrate the success of recovery. Turning Point’s motto is “making recovery a reality”.
The word Reality and Alice Cooper seem a bit of a stretch but not when it comes to recovery. He really gives reason for hope.
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1 comment:
what night...what a story...
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