Conference Entertainment Events

Bid High, Support Big: The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Silent Auction!

Get ready to bid on some incredible items while supporting a fantastic cause! This year’s conference features an exciting Silent Auction, and we need both your bidding energy and your amazing donations to make it a massive success.

Whether you are looking to take home a unique treasure or want to showcase your organization by donating, here is everything you need to know:

📅 Mark Your Calendars: The Bidding Timeline

• Auction Opens: Friday, June 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM

• Auction Closes: Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5:00 PM

• Winners Announced: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Left your extra suitcase space at home? No worries! Winners can collect their prizes in person at the event or have them shipped anywhere for a flat rate of just $10.

🤝 Got Items to Donate? We Need Your Help!

We are looking for a wide variety of donations to make this auction unforgettable. If you, your organization, or your business have items to contribute, please reach out to us at conference@collegiaterecovery.org.

Incredible item ideas include:

• Gift certificates & event tickets

• Curated gift baskets

• Signed memorabilia

• Professional service offerings (consulting, coaching, etc.)

📚 The Mystery Book Collection!

Do you have gently used books that changed your perspective, inspired your work, or simply deserve a new home? We are collecting book donations to bundle into highly anticipated Mystery Book Collections! Pack up a few of your favorites and pass the knowledge forward.

📦 How to Get Your Donations to Us

To help us stay organized, please let us know in advance what you plan to bring. You can get your items to us in one of two ways:

1. Ship them in advance (contact us at the email above for shipping details).

2. Bring them with you and drop them off directly at the conference registration table when you register.

Thank you so much for your generosity and support. Let’s make this year’s fundraiser the best one yet!

AAPG & Community Feature: Full Circle Program Open House

For those arriving early on Friday, June 26, 2026, or looking to see innovative family and youth support models in action, the Full Circle Open House showcase is an event you won’t want to miss!

• The Full Circle Program Open House (6:00 PM – 10:30 PM): Located just a short drive away at 11234 E Caley Ave., Unit B, Centennial, CO, this event invites parents, treatment professionals, educators, and advocates to come see what vibrant youth recovery truly looks like.

The Full Circle Program is a no-cost recovery community serving Colorado youth ages 13–25 and their families through peer support, sober social activities, and deep family engagement. Drop in throughout the evening to enjoy tours of their Centennial location, meet the Full Circle staff and families, connect with community partners, and enjoy food, fellowship, and a thriving recovery community. Everyone is welcome! Learn more at fullcircleprogram.com.

Conference Opening Event: Reckless Son by Matt Butler

Kick off your conference experience with a deeply moving, unforgettable opening event! We are thrilled to gather in the Aspen Amphitheater at the Denver Marriott Tech Center (8:00 PM – 9:30 PM) for a special presentation of Reckless Son—a nationally acclaimed solo show featured on NPR, PBS, and SPIN. This 60-minute performance is directed by Richard Hoehler and has been described as a 21st-century version of ‘On The Road’ meets ‘Folsom Prison Blues’.

Reckless Son is an immersive performance blending original songs and storytelling to illuminate the human experience of incarceration, addiction, and systemic disconnection. Developed by singer-songwriter Matt Butler after performing more than 100 concerts in jails and prisons across the United States, the work draws directly from the voices of incarcerated individuals and their families. Through interconnected monologues and songs, Butler traces emotional arcs of struggle, resilience, and transformation. Audiences are invited to reflect on questions of belonging, accountability, and healing, and to engage in facilitated discussion and optional creative exercises. This session highlights the power of music and narrative to elevate marginalized voices while offering educators, practitioners, and students practical tools for fostering empathy, reducing stigma, and creating inclusive environments across academic, clinical, and community settings.

Reckless Son is a one-man performance that interweaves nine monologues with nine original songs performed on acoustic guitar. Each story is rooted in the lived experiences of incarcerated individuals and others navigating addiction, homelessness, and systemic disconnection. Through narrative and song, Butler portrays these stories with empathy and complexity, shifting perspectives from “statistics” to human beings with dignity, agency, and hope. Grounded in the Hero’s Journey framework, the performance illustrates pathways of struggle, self-discovery, and redemption. Butler’s narrative approach invites participants to consider how music and storytelling can foster resilience, cultivate empathy, and expand our understanding of the human condition within and beyond the justice system.

The session is structured for both emotional impact and practical application. After the performance, participants engage in a facilitated discussion that explores themes of transformation, belonging, and responsibility. Optional creative exercises, such as journaling, artistic expression, or group dialogue, provide participants with adaptable tools for classrooms, counseling settings, and community programs. The optional accompanying educational study guide aligns with national standards in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Social–Emotional Learning, and the Arts. This ensures participants leave not only with personal insight but also with concrete strategies to implement in academic, clinical, and community-based environments. By the end of the session, participants will have gained insight into the lived realities of those impacted by incarceration, reflected on their own professional and personal practices, and identified creative methods for building inclusive, human-centered spaces for growth and reintegration.

Don’t miss this powerful opportunity to connect with your peers, expand your perspective, and ground your conference journey in a shared mission of empathy and community healing.

👉 Check out Matt Butler online for upcoming shows, clips of his music, song lyrics and more!

🏆 Celebrating Excellence: The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Awards Ceremony

One of the absolute highlights of our annual gathering is the opportunity to honor the incredible individuals, programs, and advocates leading the charge in recovery education. We invite you to join us for an inspiring and celebratory Awards Ceremony, where we will shine a spotlight on the true champions of our community!

• When: Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

• Cost: Completely free and included for all registered conference attendees.

• Bring Your Supporters: Have friends, family, or colleagues in the area who want to share this moment with you? Awards-only tickets are available for just $50 for guests who plan to attend the ceremony but are not staying for the full conference.

We are incredibly proud to announce this year’s exceptional lineup of honorees across all three organizations:

🎓 Collegiate Recovery Awards (ARHE)

• Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: David Awadalla

• Collegiate Recovery Students of the Year Award: Bryce Massey & Adam Nelson-Archer

• Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Lindsay Garcia

• Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Mobilize Recovery (Accepted by Jaclyn Brown)

• Collegiate Recovery Philanthropist of the Year Award: The Goldring Family Foundation

🍎 Recovery Schools Awards (ARS)

• Stacie Mathewson Guardian Angel Award: Rebecca Bonner

• Jim Czarniecki Visionary/Pioneer Award: Traci Bowermaster

• Paul Moberg Recovery School Research Award: Paul Moberg

🤝 Alternative Peer Groups Awards (AAPG)

• Visionary Award for the Advancement of Alternative Peer Groups: Josh Azevedo (Pathway) & Rise Recovery

• Boots on the Ground Award: Ila Shaw

This luncheon is our collective moment to say thank you to the leaders, trailblazers, and students who elevate recovery outcomes and build inclusive spaces every single day. Come celebrate their resilience, passion, and profound impact on the field!

🎬 Film Screening: “Together: Family Recovery”

Wind down your Saturday evening with a powerful, award-winning cinematic experience. We invite you to a special screening of the documentary “Together: Family Recovery”, an inspiring film that perfectly embodies our conference theme of climbing toward stronger, recovery-ready communities.

This film is an official selection and award winner across multiple 2025 festivals, including the Richmond International Film Festival, Impact DOCS Awards, and the Twin Cities Film Fest. Directed by Jess Speight, Kathy Wrenn, Shelly Young, and Pam Lanhart, it is a deeply inspiring, hopeful, and evocative look at the family recovery journey.

• When: Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
• Where: Aspen Amphitheater, Denver Marriott Tech Center
• Cost: Free for attendees

The documentary “Together: Family Recovery” represents an innovative route toward our shared goal of stronger, recovery-ready communities. Just as the conference honors diverse strategies, this film demonstrates how creative storytelling can serve as a powerful mechanism for elevating recovery education. Backed by evaluation data, the film has shown to foster lasting positive change including, building knowledge of substance use disorders, shifting attitudes, and increasing engagement with support resources. Crucially, viewers reported enhanced family closeness and resilience, proving that connection is vital to the collective ascent.

Grab a seat, connect with fellow attendees, and witness firsthand how impactful storytelling can shift attitudes, build knowledge, and foster lasting community resilience.

👉 Discover more about the film and its mission here!

🎤 Sunday Night Laughs: Second Chance Comedy Show!

Get ready to wrap up your weekend with an incredible night of laughter, connection, and community. We are thrilled to host Second Chance Comedy: A Standup Comedy Show about Addiction right here at the conference! Best of all, this event is completely free and included with your conference registration.

This unforgettable event brings together a stellar lineup of talented comics who use the power of humor to navigate the complexities, struggles, and absolute joys of recovery.

• When: Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 7:00 PM (1-hour show)

• Where: Aspen Amphitheater, Denver Marriott Tech Center

• Cost: Free for all conference attendees!

🌟 Featured Lineup:

• Host: Joe Huisman

• Featuring: Tara Check

• Headliner: Von Sprecken

🎯 About Second Chance Comedy

At Second Chance Comedy, the mission is to provide fun, sober events that shine a light on the darker side of addiction, transforming perspectives and chipping away at the stigma surrounding it. They create a platform for comedians with a personal connection to addiction, enabling them to share their experiences, promote their own healing, and entertain audiences with humor and honesty.

Through their shows, they aim to raise funds for organizations aiding those in recovery and to foster partnerships within the sober community and other supportive groups. Together, we celebrate resilience, recovery, and the power of laughter, proving that sobriety can be as enjoyable and impactful as it is meaningful.

Come share some joy and celebrate the lighter side of the journey with fellow attendees, advocates, and friends!

👉 Learn more about the performers and their mission here!

🎧 Dance the Night Away: Sober Night Out Silent Disco!

Right after Sunday’s comedy show, it’s time to switch channels, put on some headphones, and light up the dance floor! We are keeping the Sunday night energy moving with an epic Sober Night Out: Silent Disco & Dance-Off, proudly hosted by the incredible team at Sober A.F. Entertainment (S.A.F.E.).

This vibrant, high-energy event is the perfect way to connect, have fun, and experience an unforgettable sober night out with the scholastic recovery community.

• When: Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

• Where: The Atrium, Denver Marriott Tech Center (4900 S Syracuse St.)

• Admission: Completely free for conference attendees!

Show Off Your Moves: The S.A.F.E. Dance-Off Competition!

Think you’ve got the best moves at the conference? During the silent disco, Sober A.F. Entertainment will be hosting a live Dance-Off Competition.

Step into the circle for a chance to win free Colorado Rockies tickets for the game the very next night (Monday, June 29)! Whether you’re competing for the grand prize or just cheering your peers on from the sidelines, the energy in the Atrium is going to be unmatched.

🌟 About Sober A.F. Entertainment

Sober A.F. Entertainment is dedicated to creating supportive, inclusive, and absolutely electric sober spaces at sports games, concerts, and major events across the country. They prove every single day that living clean and sober doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines—it means being front, center, and having the absolute time of your life.

Grab your headphones, pick your favorite station, and let’s show Denver how the recovery community celebrates!

👉 Check out the exciting work being done by Sober A.F. Entertainment here!

⚾ Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Sober Tailgate & Rockies Game!

To wrap up an incredible Monday, Sober A.F. Entertainment is keeping the momentum rolling by hosting an epic, community-wide sporting event.

We are heading out to watch the Colorado Rockies take on the Miami Marlins in a completely sober, high-energy environment!

Here are the game-day details for Monday, June 29, 2026:

🍔 The Pre-Game Sober Tailgate

Before the first pitch, join us for a pre-game tailgate for fun and fellowship—minus the alcohol. This is a NO cost event to hang out before the game!

• When: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

• Where: The Phoenix (2239 Champa St, Denver, CO 80205)

• The Plan: Hang out at The Phoenix and pump up the excitement, then we will all walk over to the stadium together! The walk from The Phoenix to Coors Field is a flat walk (about 4–5 blocks)—perfect for a group stroll. 

🏟️ The Game: Colorado Rockies vs. Miami Marlins

• When: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

• Where: Coors Field (2001 Blake Street, Denver, CO 80205)

🎟️ Secure Your Spot in Our Dedicated Sober Section!

We want our community to enjoy the national pastime completely free of temptation. We have locked in a dedicated sober section of the park just for our conference attendees, families, and advocates!

These special, discounted tickets are selling fast, so don’t wait until you arrive in Denver to secure yours.

👉 Grab your discounted sober-section tickets here!