Over 700 People Come Together For MN Adult & Teen Challenge Annual Gala

Over 700 people packed the sports center at Cragun’s Resort last night for Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge’s annual gala.

This year marks the 11th year that MN Adult & Teen Challenge has provided services in Central Minnesota. The event benefits the organization monetarily and is also a night where graduates of the program are able to celebrate their accomplishments with friends and family.

“This community supports MN Adult & Teen Challenge, but more importantly, this community supports people in addiction like none I’ve ever seen. We want everyone to know that we believe everybody can be free and every life is valuable and we don’t want to see anyone die of an overdose,” said Sam Anderson, Central Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge center director. “We want to see everyone live and make it and find a path to sobriety.”

Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge is the largest provider of addiction and recovery services in the state. It provides both long-term recovery programs and short-term licensed treatment programs for those struggling with addiction. MN Adult & Teen Challenge has campuses across the state in Minneapolis, Rochester, Duluth, Buffalo, and Brainerd.

“Teen Challenge just has given me the necessary tools to be able to cope with things that have happened in my past and given me the necessary tools to just be able to take one day at a time,” said program graduate Ryan Schiessr.

“It’s such an incredible organization and program. It’s done a lot for my life personally,” added graduate Daniel Braaten. “From the day I stepped in, my life was changed.”