GITT Recovery set for Saturday
Sep. 7—He travels the country to promote his clothing line, but London resident Adam Larkin has a dual purpose.
Just four years ago, Larkin was battling opioid addiction. But after he realized that life could be better, he relocated and changed his life.
Larkin moved from his native New York setting to the rural areas of Kentucky. Ironically, the Ground Zero of opioid addiction is where Larkin became drug free.
He found himself in a spiral of self-destruction that came after he was involved in an automobile accident.
"My best friend was driving and he was killed. We were going 105 mph an hour when we crashed," he said. "I woke up from a coma a couple weeks later and I had a compound fracture in my arm, lacerations and bruises."
He was prescribed pain killers — which led him into a world of addiction that span over 17 years.
But now sober for 3 years, Larkin has taken his experiences to help others. He was involved in the Step Works program, where he now helps others battling addiction in the same manner he once lived.
Just over a year ago, Larkin launched his own business, GITT Apparel.
"GITT stands for Get In The Truck, meaning to get up and find something to do with your life," Larkin said.
That he has done, and he continues to promote his business while sharing his story with others.
That success inspired him to initiate the GITT Recovery, scheduled for this Saturday at the North Laurel High School football field.
"We have live music — Magnola Vale, which has an up-and-coming following in the area, and 8 Daze Sober, another popular group. There will be food vendors, information booths from recovery groups, and resources on where to get help," Larkin explained.
Larkin said he wanted to begin the Recovery Celebration in London, where he became sober. Thus far he has received outstanding support from various agencies and businesses in the area.
"I hadn't heard of a celebration like this in London before and I wanted to start it here," he said. "You hear all the stories about how addiction affected people. We want to tell the recovery stories — the positive side of people who have made something of their lives afterward."
Larkin said the list of success stories include counselors, doctors, attorneys, business owners and others who once faced a dire future.
"Addiction has affected every singe person in some way," he continued. "We want to bring awareness and let people know where they can get help and that help is available."
"This is an event to bring hope," he said. "With September being National Recovery Month, I thought this was the perfect time to draw attention to it."
A lantern lighting ceremony will take place at dusk, with Larkin adding in some purple glow sticks for an additional touch.
"Purple is the color for recovery and I thought that would be the perfect touch to the lantern lighting," he said.
The event is free and begins at 5 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Food and drink vendors will be on site.
