Great Barrington, Mass. – May 13 – On Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m., a free community presentation, “Prevention Starts With ALL: The Chris Herren Story,” will take place at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. The program is presented by Grace Church and Fairview Hospital. Pre-registration is not required.
In this very personal presentation, Chris will share his recovery journey in a brutally honest format with just a microphone. The event will start with a 5-minute film introducing Herren and showing highlights of his basketball career and his dream to play in the NBA which began to unravel by making a few bad decisions. From growing up in Fall River, MA to playing Division 1 basketball and in the NBA, he will take the audience on his journey from addiction to sobriety. Additionally, he will relate his story to the audience addressing themes of gateway drugs, prescription drug use, vaping and the responsibility of prevention starting with us all. To conclude the event Chris will field questions from the audience.
An extraordinary basketball player, Chris Herren was a celebrated star in his native Fall River, MA before graduating high school. He went on to play at Boston College and Fresno State, two seasons in the NBA – including one with his hometown team, the Boston Celtics – and seven seasons overseas before losing it all to the disease of addiction.
With the unwavering support of his family and friends, Chris has been sober since August 1, 2008, and he now shares his story with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others.
His recovery journey has been documented in the bestselling memoir, “Basketball Junkie,” the Emmy-nominated ESPN Films documentary, “Unguarded” and in countless local, national and international stories by The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, among others. Through Herren Talks, Chris has spoken to over 1 million students and community members, sparking honest discussions about substance use disorder and wellness.
In 2011, Chris grew his vision of support for others when he founded the nonprofit Herren Project. Through the organization, Chris and his team empower schools and communities to make healthy choices, while also guiding families through recovery. In 2018, Chris also founded Herren Wellness, a residential health and wellness program that helps guests lead healthy, substance-free lives.
About the Sponsors:
Grace Church, an Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires, launches its Community Grants program with this initial presentation. By supporting the program that address issues of local concern, Grace hopes to further open conversation about the opioid crisis among a larger audience. Students, parents, concerned community members, health professionals can learn from Chris Herren’s experience. It takes all of us to solve this problem in our neighborhood.
Fairview Hospital, a 25- bed federally designated Critical Access Hospital in Great Barrington, is an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems.