Photo caption: La Hacienda-College Station Program Director Mary Reyes (second from right) and members of the Aggie Recovery Community give a Gig ‘Em for the first Aggie Sober Tailgate.
Challenges to a person in recovery can fill college life. Among them are tailgate parties before sporting events, a frequent theme of beer industry ads.
At Texas A&M University, students in recovery recently got a break. The first Aggie Sober Tailgate was held prior the November 17 football game with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Taking advantage of a mild Saturday afternoon, a sizeable crowd turned out for a tailgate that featured food, non-alcoholic beverages, games, and giveaways of a variety of items.
“It was a good turnout for a historic event,” said Mary Reyes, Program Director of La Hacienda-College Station, which helped with the event. “Texas A&M is steadily increasing its support for students in recovery. It was inspiring to see young people choose to be sober and embrace a new life.”
New Recovery Group
Aggie Recovery Community (ARC), Texas A&M Health Promotion and RecSports sponsored the sober tailgate. ARC is a new student organization at A&M. It hosts 12 step-based recovery meetings and is planning on sponsoring a regular schedule of social events.
In addition to outreach activities such as the sober tailgate, the La Hacienda-College Station office provides Intensive Outpatient Programs including free assessment and referral, group counseling sessions, individual counseling, family groups, drug and alcohol testing, and referral for detox and medical services.
And, in case you are wondering (or are not an Aggie fan), A&M won the game, 41-20.
