A speaker you should not miss!
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Wilmington, DE
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A speaker you should not miss!
Last weekend, my RADD flew up from Florida to attend the Ashley Addiction Treatment (formerly Father Martin's Ashley) Annual Reunion. As usual, the event was very well attended and she got to see some old friends and counselors at the facility.
This year's key note speaker was Chris Herren; his intro from the Reunion flyer:
"Chris Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts who scored over 2,000 career points and was named to the 1994 McDonald's All-American team. Herren realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA only to lose it all to the nightmare of drug addiction—first alcohol, then cocaine and OxyContin, finally heroin.
Alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. He shares his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, Basketball Junkie, as well as in numerous interviews throughout the Emmy-nominated ESPN Films documentary Unguarded, of which he is the subject."
Chris tells his story more than 200 times per year (!!!!) to anyone who will listen - schools, rehabs, churches, civic groups, etc.
It is an amazing story of addiction and recovery. So, if you ever have the chance to hear him, don't miss it!
Keep coming back,
Jim
This year's key note speaker was Chris Herren; his intro from the Reunion flyer:
"Chris Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts who scored over 2,000 career points and was named to the 1994 McDonald's All-American team. Herren realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA only to lose it all to the nightmare of drug addiction—first alcohol, then cocaine and OxyContin, finally heroin.
Alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. He shares his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, Basketball Junkie, as well as in numerous interviews throughout the Emmy-nominated ESPN Films documentary Unguarded, of which he is the subject."
Chris tells his story more than 200 times per year (!!!!) to anyone who will listen - schools, rehabs, churches, civic groups, etc.
It is an amazing story of addiction and recovery. So, if you ever have the chance to hear him, don't miss it!
Keep coming back,
Jim
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Wilmington, DE
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I found the ESPN documentary "Unguarded" on the web at //vimeo.com/79305689 by googling "Unguarded film".
It is 1:20 long and free to watch at the Vimeo site. The film contains the majority of his presentation which is pieced together in the film from various speaking engagements, his talk is interspersed with interview footage with him, his family, friends and coaches plus archival news and game footage. It includes a lot of interview footage with his brother.
Watching "Unguarded" will definitely give you a sense of his message and presentation style.
There is a bit of footage of Chris after speaking at an NA or AA meeting which shows him giving hugs to a line of people from the meeting - he did this at the reunion - yes, I stood in line and got my hug!
Keep coming back,
Jim
It is 1:20 long and free to watch at the Vimeo site. The film contains the majority of his presentation which is pieced together in the film from various speaking engagements, his talk is interspersed with interview footage with him, his family, friends and coaches plus archival news and game footage. It includes a lot of interview footage with his brother.
Watching "Unguarded" will definitely give you a sense of his message and presentation style.
There is a bit of footage of Chris after speaking at an NA or AA meeting which shows him giving hugs to a line of people from the meeting - he did this at the reunion - yes, I stood in line and got my hug!
Keep coming back,
Jim
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Location: Somewhere out there
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Chris now lives in my state and I have friends who know him personally. He is a very caring, wonderful man who goes above and beyond to not only help people fight addiction but he speaks at many schools to keep kids from ever trying drugs.
Ann, he is a gifted speaker and has a non profit foundation THP Project Purple Initiative that helps people and families struggling with addiction. He has made it his mission.
Thanks for sharing Jim. Glad your daughter was able to hear him speak and it is always good to hear when a family member is doing well.
Ann, he is a gifted speaker and has a non profit foundation THP Project Purple Initiative that helps people and families struggling with addiction. He has made it his mission.
Thanks for sharing Jim. Glad your daughter was able to hear him speak and it is always good to hear when a family member is doing well.
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Wilmington, DE
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From Needingabreak:
......has a non profit foundation THP Project Purple Initiative.....
I Googled this one up also, hit the "contact us" button and inquired as to Chris's speaking schedule anywhere close to my town -they got back very quickly and provided his confirmed schedule for the rest of 2016 and provided one additional date -- on March 28, 2017, Chris will be speaking at an "open to the public" event at a Catholic high school which is less than a mile from my house.
I will certainly pass that date along to the local recovery community!
Keep coming back,
Jim
......has a non profit foundation THP Project Purple Initiative.....
I Googled this one up also, hit the "contact us" button and inquired as to Chris's speaking schedule anywhere close to my town -they got back very quickly and provided his confirmed schedule for the rest of 2016 and provided one additional date -- on March 28, 2017, Chris will be speaking at an "open to the public" event at a Catholic high school which is less than a mile from my house.
I will certainly pass that date along to the local recovery community!
Keep coming back,
Jim
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Wareham, Mass
Posts: 7,067
I have heard Chris Herren speak. He's a local guy. My husband loves b-ball, played in younger days, and has always followed the local players who made it into the bigs. Chris Herren was an amazing player until he got sidelined with drugs. He is well worth hearing.
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