Sept. 16, 2025, Grand Forks held its 13th Rally for Recovery downtown to help support those battling addiction and other mental health barriers. It was a day to celebrate sobriety and bring people together to share resources and support for each other during some of life’s hardest moments. People from all walks of life were present, all connected through that one mutual goal of support. There was food, music, and many booths with goodies and useful information for people to take with them on their way. Booths highlighted advocacy groups, treatment programs, housing assistance, food support, community events, and volunteer opportunities.
People also chose to share their stories with the crowd to help bring more awareness to the different ways these kinds of struggles can appear in life, how much of an impact they can have, and that there is hope that things can get better. There was also a moment where those who had been sober for several years along with those just beginning their sobriety journey got to stand up and be recognized, acknowledged, and honored for their fight against addiction. This was a moment that seemed to truly hit home with everyone present, me included.
This kind of community event helped to destigmatize the otherwise heavily stigmatized topic of addiction and mental health struggles while offering a lot of truly active and involved resources and support groups within the area and surrounding area.
Some of the showcased resources and groups, while not all of them, included:
ShareHouse – A mental health clinic based in Fargo that also offers telehealth services, and they are known for their Substance Use Disorder Treatments.
Love in Action – A faith-based Grand Forks nonprofit that helps bring relief to those needing support.
Woodnote Therapy – Individualized care based in Grand Forks that specializes in various mental health experiences.
CVIC – Offers education, safety, and support with interpersonal violence experiences and is available on UND’s campus as well.
RADD – A Grand Forks running group that meets every Sunday to bring people together to support each other and engage in a healthy activity as a community.
When many mental health crises and addictions can be heavily stigmatized, the presence of an event like the Rally for Recovery helps break through those judgements and make room for support and acknowledgement for those struggling, or who know someone who is, with these kinds of hurdles.
Ed Tortorelli is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
