Some Huntington community members skipped a morning of sleeping in and headed to Ritter Park for a Saturday morning run in support of addiction recovery during the first Encouraging Every Step to Recovery 5k. 

Walk FM radio organized the event to benefit some of the local recovery houses that they said they believe have supported the station and made an impact on the tri-state area. 

“We wanted to do something to give back to them because they give to us,” Magan Staten, event coordinator and director of listener engagement, said. “They’re the ones doing the hard work out here in our community to help with the recovery effort.”

All proceeds will be split between three recovery houses: Recovery Point, The Lifehouse and Field of Hope. 

“I listen to Walk FM all the time,” community member Sarita Gumm said when asked about her reason to participate in the race. “The drug issue hasn’t really touched my family until now. My nephew has lost his newborn baby, so it touches everybody. You think it won’t touch you, but it does. And so I wanted to support that and support the radio station and I love running, so pretty good reasons.”

Staten said she hopes to make the 5k an annual event helping more recovery programs from surrounding areas. 

“We’re hoping to add other recovery efforts to the mix,” Staten said. “We’re hoping to maybe do like one in Ashland next year and help the recovery houses in that area and go to different areas and then help those in that area.”

Saturday’s event ended with 72 registered racers and almost $2,000 raised for the recovery houses. 

“Walk FM is listener supported,” Staten said. “We don’t run commercials; we don’t make money any other way. This is our community outreach, just something we can do to give back to the community we are in.”

Brittany Hively can be contacted at [email protected].