Rise and shine

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16 – Kathy Reddington said she would have marched to the capitol Saturday if there were only six people.

But she ended up with a lot more company walking to with a goal of erasing the stigma and raising awareness for those struggling with addiction.

“We had 200 at least,” said Reddington, who coordinated the first Lansing Walk for Recovery from the Brenke Fish Ladder to the Capitol steps Saturday. Reddington is a board member of the National Council on Alcoholism (Lansing regional area).

“We picked up people who were curious,” she said. “There were a lot of parents there who wanted to support their kids. As we were walking people were honking and hooting and giving us the thumbs up.”

There was also a memorial and candle-lighting ceremony honoring those who have lost their lives due to addiction.”

“There were smiles, there were tears,” she said. “People told their stories of hopelessness to hope. It was beautiful.