Against a backdrop of live music and recovery testimonies, the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse amplified hope and healing in a region that has spent years confronting addiction. The office’s Rock for Recovery event on May 23 held at the 1020 Collective, included poetry, artwork, and musical performances by artists in recovery like Matthew Crays, Tyler Smilo, Dominick Dececco, and Colicchie, changing the tune from loss and stigma to one of resilience.
“Hopefully this fosters hope and changes the stigma about what people living in recovery and with substance use disorders looks like,” said Brandy Cortes, event organizer and lead project coordinator for the Erie County Regional Recovery Hub. Organizers said the event was meant to cover all aspects of recovery — there were recovery resources for individuals struggling with substance use disorder, artwork displayed from patients in recovery and from local students learning about prevention, and a space to remember those who have passed away.
Smilo of Smilo & the Ghost said he came to Erie in 2012 through the detention system and is now over seven years clean and sober. He said that addicts are some of the most intelligent people he’s met, and if they can harness that strength, it can become a superpower. With original songs like “Blood of my Father,” he addressed the generational affliction with addiction that he experienced. Thanks to recovery, though, he said “I’m able to be there for my son today.”
Dominic Dececco and Tyler Smilo perform to a sold-out crowd as part of a celebration for hope and healing in Erie County.…