Two of Mississippi’s well-known talents are teaming up to boost awareness and fundraising that helps students in recovery succeed in college. Renowned restaurateur Robert St. John is an artist with food. Wyatt Waters is acclaimed for his watercolors reflecting life in the South. Both will be featured in Arts & Action, a fundraiser for the Mississippi State University Collegiate Recovery Community Sunday, Feb. 12 at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point. St. John and Waters have collaborated on several best-selling books that blend cuisine and recipes with impressive artwork.
Event guests will enjoy a four-course meal prepared by St. John and watch Waters create a painting on site. A live auction of the finished painting will follow the meal. Tickets, which are $200, are limited to the first 100 supporters.
The Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at MSU provides comprehensive support services to students in recovery from drugs, alcohol and all process additions, say organizers. One of its functions is to raise money to provide scholarships.
“With one in four Americans affected by addiction and mental illness, we all know someone or have a family member that has suffered,” says Martha Allen, a CRC board member and director of marketing for alcohol and drug services and mental health services at Community Counseling Services. “For these kids to have the courage, strength and determination to go back to school is incredibly inspiring to me. They are leaders on campus and are honors college members and choose daily to live life sober.”
Arts & Action will serve as a creative medium to enlighten attendees about the perils of addiction through interaction with CRC students. One goal is to reduce stigma about addiction and highlight the hope and success found in recovery.
“These young people are our future,” says Allen. The students are future architects, engineers, counselors and philanthropists, organizers point out. Their stories of change and successful graduation show that recovery is possible.
How to go
Arts & Action begins at 4 p.m. at Old Waverly in West Point. Tickets, which are limited, must be purchased in advance. Get them at eventbrite.com or contact Blake Schneider, 662-325-3192. Tables may be reserved for larger groups. The dining and art experience includes a silent auction in addition to the live auction.
Donations are welcome even if supporters are unable to attend the function. The CRC’s primary funding comes from individual contributions. For questions about making a gift, contact Schneider at the number or email address above.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.