On February 25, 2023, CKF Addiction Treatment hosted our inaugural UnMask the Stigma Masquerade Gala in Salina, KS. It was an empowering evening, with just over 140 guests filling the historic Temple theater. The night started with guests entering in their elegant attire and masks, walking the red carpet, and being served a delicious plated dinner.
There were numerous benchmarks of inspiration throughout the night, starting with CKF’s CEO & President announcing the $1.6M ‘Bridging the Gaps’ Capital Campaign to expand the CKF Women’s Bridgehouse Program.
Our courageous guests of honor took the stage next to share her impactful recovery journey. LeAnn’s story is one that many of us are familiar with. Leann shared the harrowing start of her recovery, and the hopeful place she has found since exiting Bridgehouse. Her story is just one example of why we do what we do, and how vital programs like Bridgehouse are in our communities.
To end the night, Tom Farley reminded us to think about the person behind the chronic disease of addiction. As he shared personal stories about what Chris was like growing up, and how addiction affected his entire family, we were reminded that no one should be defined by this disease.
We hope those who attended will join us in reducing the stigma and misinformation surrounding addiction and support those who live with and manage their addiction for the rest of their lives. Behind every diagnosis, label, or word used to describe an individual living with addiction is always a person first and foremost. The way we “treat” addiction, in all its forms, is important. Our words have power; let’s use them for good.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised $18,805 to go towards our ‘Bridging the Gaps’ Capital Campaign.
We are so excited to share the CKF Gala red carpet photos with you!
HERE is a link to the gallery. You may download your favorite images and use as you like. The gallery link will expire on April 30, so please be sure to download and back up your favorite red carpet-photos before then!
Again, thank you for joining us and we hope to see you at next year’s gala!
All the best,
Emma Reitz, Marketing & Development Coordinator