The LRADAC 40th Anniversary Celebration will take place on September 26 from 7:30 to 10 a.m., at Brookland Banquet and Conference Center, located at 1066 Sunset Blvd. in West Columbia. The breakfast banquet serves as a networking and fundraising event for individuals living and working in the Midlands. Laurie Dhue will be the keynote speaker.

Dhue is a certified recovery specialist and a person in long-term recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. An award-winning national news anchor who formerly hosted shows on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel, Dhue now works to provide resources and support for individuals and families dealing with addiction through her organization Dhue Together. She will be sharing her journey to recovery and wellness with event attendees.

“Having such a huge recovery advocate like Laurie Dhue at our event means we’ll be better able to share our message of hope in recovery and the importance of the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders,” said Kaytee Watson, LRADAC Foundation executive director. “The speakers we have lined up for this event will help inspire the community to come together to address one of the biggest health problems we are facing today and will continue to face in the future.”

Laura Ryan, Rise Above It: Lexington Two Community Coalition coordinator, stated, “We are ecstatic to sponsor Laurie Dhue as the keynote speaker for this great event. There is a real need to educate the community about the prevention, treatment and recovery of substance use disorders because no one person, no matter their socioeconomic status, is fully protected from developing a substance use disorder.”

Patrick Patterson, also speaking at the event, is a Columbia native and award-winning speaker, advocate and influencer of change for fathers, men, boys, and families nationally and internationally. Patterson will be sharing a message of healing families through recovery.

Anthony Hampton is a LRADAC success story. He will share his journey to recovery and how he found his passion for helping others at LRADAC.

This event serves as the LRADAC Foundation’s largest fundraising event to date. Funds raised through the event will directly impact the LRADAC Foundation Recovery Scholarship Fund, which provides financial aid for individuals and families so they can more fully participate in services at LRADAC.