Chatham Memorial Walk for Addiction Recovery
By David Lee
Published September 24, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Last updated September 24, 2025 at 3:28 PM
CHATHAM--The fact that substance use disorder can impact just about anyone’s life to one degree or another regardless of background was evident in the diversity of people who assembled for the Columbia County Pathways to Recovery’s (CCPR) annual Memorial Walk for Recovery.
People gathered in front of the Tracy Memorial Village Hall on Friday evening, September 19, for an event to honor and remember those lost to substance use disorder and celebrate those in recovery. Reminders of the former were present in the form of signs printed with their photos, names and dates set up on the lawn adjacent to the building. And representatives of the latter were everywhere in attendance and at one point during the program stood up on the steps to be recognized and applauded.
CCPR Board Member Carl Quinn called the gathering to order with a welcome and an introduction of other board members of Columbia County Pathways to Recovery in attendance.
Speakers included Hannah Calhoun who is executive director of the Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition. She made the point that while there is a 27% nationwide decline in overdose deaths, more than 80,000 are lost every year to overdose, and there had been a spike of 5 nonfatal overdoses in the area in the previous 24 hours. Board members Alison Group and Krista Antonson connected with the audience telling very personal stories of their experiences with substance use disorder and recovery.
