Addiction, substance abuse and mental health issues take a toll on more than just the person suffering.

The effects of these habits or hang ups extend to loved ones, friends and the community as a whole.

Likewise, the effects of recovery can be felt by all those involved in the process.

That is why is it only fitting that the community gathers once again to celebrate and rejoice over the many people in recovery.

The second annual Rally4Recovery will be hosted in downtown Winchester Sept. 22 and 23, and will feature events for those in recovery, family and friends who have been affected by recovery and members of the community that support recovery. There will be a worship service, remembrance walk, spaghetti dinner, kids activities and a 5K run/walk. There will also be a recovery thermometer, where those in recovery can put the number of years they have been in recovery on the thermometer, and on Saturday the total number of years will be read aloud.

The two-day event is part memorial, part celebration focused on those battling substance use and mental health conditions.

Substance abuse and mental health concerns often go hand-in-hand. Substance abuse can lead to mental health concerns and people who already struggle with mental health often turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism.

The issues are ones that weigh heavy on communities, especially in a state in the grips of an opioid epidemic.

We hear all the bad news and troubles about drug addiction and how it impacts the state and our community. There’s no doubt it’s a heavy and hard-to-tackle issue.

However, events like Rally4Recovery prove that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for people dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. Perhaps if enough people are exposed to this truth, they will also seek recovery and we can see tremendous improvement in our state.

It might be wishful thinking, but there is proof that it can be done.

We praise these groups — Celebrate Recovery, Calvary Christian Church and the Clark County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy — for taking the time to celebrate what life can be life in recovery.