On September 30, 2021, in recognition of International Recovery Day and as a capstone to National Recovery Month in the United States, The Voices Project and iHeartRadio, in collaboration with more than two-dozen cross-sector partners, will produce Recover Out Loud, a concert event to be streamed exclusively on the iHeart Facebook and YouTube channels.
The event will be hosted by Gary Owen and feature headline performances by Macklemore, KT Tunstall, Evvie McKinney, Daphne Willis, The Residency, and others. Additional talent lineups will be announced over the coming weeks. Major philanthropic support for the event is provided by Google, YouTube, the Sandgaard Foundation, Victoria’s Voice Foundation, Division of Overdose Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Westgate Resort & Casino.
“The twin pandemics of drug overdose and COVID-19, combined with millions struggling with mental health, makes it imperative and urgent for influencers, policymakers, and corporations with global reach to come together in support of solutions through the celebration of the power of recovery,” said Ryan Hampton, the event organizer who is a person in long-term recovery from addiction, bestselling author, and the founder of the national non-profit organization The Voices Project.
The event will be amplified globally through additional media partnerships with Variety, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter and will be produced by the acclaimed Vans Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, and the award-winning filmmaker and seasoned addiction-event producer, Greg Williams.
“Since 2018, iHeart has been at the forefront of addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic—as well as the country’s mental health crisis—with the launch of several public awareness initiatives designed to merge public and private audiences with pop culture influencers to reduce stigma around mental health, addiction, and opioid use disorder,” said Greg Ashlock, CEO, Multiplatform Group at iHeartMedia. “Our partnership with Recover Out Loud and the Voices Project is an extension of our commitment to helping to end both crises, which have only been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I’ve found that sharing my story of recovery from alcohol use disorder has encouraged others to open up as well, and by being open together, we reduce stigma, which is one of the major barriers to people getting help,” said US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “I’m grateful to President Biden for embracing the power of people in recovery to not only speak out but also help lead this work from the cabinet to the front lines.”
“Google is honored to join this initiative in support of America’s rising addiction recovery movement. Through the power of community and technology, millions of Americans seeking recovery are able to access the important information and resources they need,” said Aura Navarro-Abreu, program lead for recovery initiatives at Google. “At every opportunity, we’ll continue to stand up for this movement and encourage other organizations to do the same.”
“The pandemic has only further underscored the need for better support for addiction and mental health across the country,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health Partnerships at YouTube. “YouTube is proud to partner with Recover Out Loud, helping to celebrate and shine a spotlight on addiction recovery and to encourage those who need help to seek out recovery assistance.”
“Facebook is proud to be a platform for Mobilize Recovery’s Recover Out Loud concert to amplify the voices of people recovering from opioid addiction,” said Avra Siegel, Head of US Policy Programs at Facebook.
“Helping people tell their stories is paramount to addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic, which is why we’ve supported Mobilize Recovery since their inception and will continue being a platform to help them get their vital message out.”
“Every day, people around the world use Twitter to join conversations around support and find reliable, authoritative information about addiction and mental health recovery,” said Lauren Culbertson, Twitter’s Head of US Public Policy. “From our #ThereIsHelp search prompts, which surface localized public health resources, to our Ads for Good Grants, we’re committed to leveraging our resources and tools to support the #RecoveryMovement. We’re grateful to partner with Recover Out Loud to ensure that people can access the care and support they need – during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
Recover Out Loud will tape at the International Theater at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and air on September 30 at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT across iHeart’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Mobilize Recovery’s mission is to expand meaningful policy to support recovery, create connections to supportive services that are vital and lifesaving, and engage affected individuals in community-based action. Attendees at Recover Out Loud in Las Vegas will include frontline workers in the addiction and mental health field, impacted family members, and people in recovery from addiction.
