Hands Around the Park Brings Community Together to Celebrate Recovery

ONTARIO, Ore. – Lions Park in Ontario was filled with volunteers, community partners, vendors, guests and families Thursday evening as people came together for Hands Around the Park: Celebrate Recovery 2026. Hosted by Lifeways with support from the Malheur County Prevention Coalition, the September 3rd gathering offered an evening of free food, games, music, awards and family-friendly activities. But behind all of those activities was an important message: recovery is something worth celebrating. The event created a welcoming place for people at different points in their lives to gather alongside the organizations, volunteers and community members who support individuals and families throughout the recovery journey. One of the most encouraging parts of the evening was simply seeing the variety of people who showed up. Community organizations and partners were there sharing information and resources. Vendors and volunteers helped create the activities and atmosphere. Families brought their children. Friends visited with one another, and people had an opportunity to make new connections. Together, they helped turn Lions Park into a place of celebration, encouragement and community. Events like Hands Around the Park are also a reminder that recovery does not happen in isolation. Behind an individual working toward a better future can be family members, friends, counselors, peer-support specialists, healthcare professionals, community organizations and sometimes people they may have only recently met. Every one of those connections can matter. For Living In The News .Com, evenings like this are especially meaningful to document because the photographs tell a story that numbers alone cannot. They show the volunteers who gave their time. They show the organizations and community partners who showed up to offer support. They show the vendors who helped make the evening special. And most importantly, they show the guests and families who came together to celebrate recovery. Thank you to Lifeways, the Malheur County Prevention Coalition, the volunteers, partners, vendors and everyone who helped make Hands Around the Park possible. And congratulations to every person whose recovery journey, whether it began years ago, yesterday or is just beginning, is represented by a celebration like this. Sometimes simply showing up for someone is one of the most powerful things a community can do. Lifeways 702 Sunset Drive, Ontario, Oregon (541) 889-9167