by Natalia Kirychuk, Student Public Relations Writer
The 2018 Jeremiah Tree Recovery Run and Community Day will take place September 30 in Xenia, Ohio, starting at the Xenia Station Bike Hub. The Recovery Run 5K will kick off the day of activities at 2 p.m. Register or donate online or sign up the day of the race at the bike hub,. 150 Miami Ave.. Xenia. The hub is a replica of the 1880s-era brick railroad station.
Members from Cedarville University’s Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) and the American Pharmacy Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) will set up several tables for an awareness challenge at this event, each focusing on a topic related to addiction and mental health. Nursing students will provide a first aid station and blood pressure screenings.
Last year’s event raised funds to increase awareness about addiction, mental health and treatment options. This year’s events will benefit the Jeremiah Tree, a Xenia ministry founded in 2012 to provide faith-based, long-term recovery services to men. Jeremiah Tree accepts men for a six-month residential discipleship program aimed at full recovery from addiction.
“We are delighted to be working with the students from Cedarville again this year to promote awareness on issues related to addiction and recovery,” said Marlene Labig, who serves on the boards of both the Jeremiah Tree and Bridges of Hope, an agency that links people to Xenia-area programs like the Jeremiah Tree. “Our program is offered free of charge, so we depend on donations from the community to pay our bills. The recovery run will raise critical funding that will allow us to continue helping men trapped in addiction.”
The event will include food, children's activities and opportunities to learn about the issues of addiction and mental health in Ohio. The community can walk or run in the 5K or simply come to learn. Visitors will get a card punched for each informational table they visit. T-shirts will be awarded to those who register for and complete either the 5K or the Awareness Challenge.
Representatives from the School of Pharmacy’s GenerationRx initiative will also attend the event. GenerationRx is a student-run initiative through APhA-ASP that educates middle- and high-schoolers about drug abuse.
“Last year, GenerationRx had a great opportunity to share about the importance of being educated on prescription drug abuse through the Recovery Walk,” said Stephanie Wu, a second-year pharmacy student (P2) from Peoria, Illinois, who serves as chair of Generation Rx. “We hope to spread awareness about this and other issues related to the signs and symptoms of abuse.”
Student representatives from SNPhA focused on educating the community about various mental health medications and the importance of taking medications correctly. They also handed out cards of encouragement to those who had been personally affected by chronic diseases to let them know they are were not alone.
Last year through the Recovery Walk, SNPhA also educated the community about infectious diseases such as HIV and supplied info on free health care and clinics around the area for those who do not have the access to exceptional health care.
“This year we want to expand on this by bringing awareness to other infectious and chronic diseases, such as diabetes and Hepatitis C,” noted Andrea Adegoke, president-elect of SNPhA and a P2 from Raleigh, North Carolina.
“This event falls in line with the Cedarville University’s School of Pharmacy’s vision to provide health care to underserved populations,” said Cindy Burban, director of community engagement for the school of pharmacy. “We encourage our students and the community to get involved by participating in the run or the awareness challenge to be more informed. Our hope is that those in our surrounding communities will get involved by raising pledge money to run, walk or learn more by participating.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,193 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.