FILE PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Jackie Eaton Ball, left, Del. Mary Beth Carozza, and Heidi and Jamie McNeely celebrate another successful Rock for Recovery concert benefit. The concert was held last year at Trader Lee’s.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Nov. 8, 2018) Live music, door prizes and auctions will be part of the third annual Rock for Recovery event this Sunday at Trader Lee’s in West Ocean City, starting at 1 p.m.

The Taylor Knox project and DJ Wax will perform, and Chinese and silent auctions are planned in the effort to raise funds for the Worcester County Warriors Against Opiate Addiction.

Local people and businesses donated auction items, which include golf foursomes, a pool party at an Ocean Pines Aquatics facility, several Kindle Fires, artwork, and gift certificates to area stores and restaurants.

Proceeds will help local people get into addictions recovery programs. A portion of funds will benefit Hope4Recovery, the first Berlin recovery home.

Organizers Heidi and Jamie McNeeley said the idea for the event originally came from Mike Chester, frontman for rock/reggae group The Rogue Citizens.

“It was our first fundraiser, mainly just to bring awareness to us and try to raise money so we could help people get into rehab,” Jamie said. “It was actually thrown at us and I had two-or-three weeks to get all the stuff for it … but it worked out.”

He said close to $3,000 was raised at the initial event and totals have gone up each year. During a recent fundraiser at the Green Turtle, the group raised nearly $5,000, Jamie said.

“We’d love to raise thousands and thousands of dollars, but even if the only thing we’re doing is bringing awareness and getting the word out there about our organization, [it would be a success],” Heidi said.

During the first event, she said, a local man showed up and asked for help on the spot. Because of that, he was able to get into The Amethyst Recovery Center in Ohio.

“This person had just kind of wandered in to see what we were all about,” Heidi said. “And this man approached us and said, ‘I really need to get into recovery – I think I’m ready to find help.’ So, we were able to give him resources.”

Jamie said the Warriors received some pushback from people about the wisdom of holding fundraisers for addiction recovery in bars and nightclubs, but largely shrugged that off.

“You know what? Those are the places that reach out to us,” he said. “And if [Rock for Recovery] was at the library, that person seeking treatment probably wouldn’t have come.”

Heidi agreed.

“My feeling, having been there as someone who loves someone who was addicted, is you already feel they’re marginalized,” she said. “To see an event advertised: ‘wholesome family fun at the church’ – I’m going to think I don’t fit in. Everyone’s going to look at me and say, ‘that’s the mother of someone who is addicted.’

“It’s more comfortable at Trader Lee’s. It’s more comfortable at The Green Turtle, because that’s where everyone is on common ground,” she added.

Tickets, $10 and available at the door, include food and door prizes during the event.

For more information, call 443-880-5943, or visit www.wocowarriors.org or www.facebook.com/WorcesterCountyWarriors.