By Courtney Taylor
news@wbcowqel.com
For two days this past weekend those who have been snared in the web of opiate addiction and their families have heard the message there is a way to get free. The city of Bucyrus was host to a Hope Over Heroin event on Friday and Saturday in Washington Square.
Aside from the patrons, also in attendance were representatives from churches and outreach centers aimed at helping those affected by addiction.
One of these is Restoration Ministries, who traveled from Harvey, Illinois. They are a Christian-based, nonprofit organization that helps those with histories of addiction. The Tabitha House is a residential recovery center for women, and Harvey House is for men. All of their services are cost free.
“We just want to help. We understand that when someone’s addicted to drugs, they’ve already run out of resources,” said Ray Banks, Executive Director of Restoration Ministries.
A fun feature of the evening was a performance from the stunt motorcycle group Ride 4 Life. The group was founded in 2013 and this is their second year teaming up with Hope Over Heroin. Though they get a substantial amount of requests to perform, Hope Over Heroin is a priority to them.
“This is a beautiful thing God has given us because it attracts every demographic,” said front man Scott Caraboolad, who has been riding for 20 years.
Addiction is a cause close to Caraboolad’s heart, as he is very open about struggling with it himself throughout his life and when he was involved with a different stunt bike group. He had his own personal religious experience in 2011 and continues to share his testimony at events like Hope Over Heroin.
The day’s agenda was slightly delayed due to rain, but activities still carried on and the day was a success.
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