Betty Ford Center Hosts Mobilize Recovery 2024 National Bus Tour
Hundreds gather to sign the bus and to celebrate National Recovery Month and Hazelden Betty Ford’s 75th Anniversary as city of Rancho Mirage, CA, proclaims Hazelden Betty Ford Day
When former First Lady Betty Ford decided in 1978 to inspire hope in others by sharing publicly about her journey from addiction into recovery, she elevated a recovery advocacy movement that has grown — most likely — beyond even her imagination.
On Sept. 21, 2024, Mrs. Ford’s enduring impact was in full focus as the renowned treatment center she later co-founded — the Betty Ford Center, now a flagship in the global force of healing and hope known as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation — hosted a stop on the Mobilize Recovery 2024 National Bus Tour, inviting community members, alumni, patients and staff to celebrate National Recovery Month, Hazelden Betty Ford’s 75th Anniversary, and the power of recovering out loud.
“Before Betty Ford, there was no Betty Ford Center, no National Recovery Month, and no Mobilize Recovery bus to cross the country and activate recovery communities from L.A. to D.C. So bringing the bus to our campus and celebrating Recovery Month with our Coachella Valley community was a special way to honor all that Mrs. Ford inspired and to continue advancing her legacy and influence,” said Tessa Voss, vice president of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s California Region and administrator of the Betty Ford Center. “Hazelden Betty Ford is thrilled to collaborate with Mobilize Recovery — as we have for three years now— to spread hope, advance solutions, engage policymakers and smash stigma in communities throughout the country.”
Hundreds attended the event, dubbed Recovery Coachella, on the beautiful Betty Ford Center campus in Rancho Mirage, CA, including Mayor Steve Downs, Mayor Pro Tem Ted Weill and City Council Member Michael O’Keefe. Weill shared a personal story of a friend’s recovery, which began at the Betty Ford Center. And Mayor Downs presented Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Board Chair MaryPat Woodard with a proclamation declaring Sept. 21 Hazelden Betty Ford Day in Rancho Mirage. The proclamation recognized the nonprofit Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s 75 years at the forefront of addiction treatment and recovery, with an emphasis on Betty Ford’s ongoing impact.
The event featured community resources, games, food, tours of the Betty Ford Center campus, and inspiring recovery speakers — including Woodard (the Hazelden Betty Ford Board Chair) and Mobilize Recovery co-founder Garrett Hade. It also was a Recovery Month Day of Service, with attendees donating items and funds to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Martha’s Village & Kitchen, two local organizations serving individuals and families in need.
Mobilize Recovery’s Tim Sullivan, who participated in a tour of the campus, reflected on the 2014 merger of the Betty Ford Center and Hazelden to form the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and why it was meaningful to have the bus stop at the Betty Ford Center.
“These are two of the most well-known names in addiction treatment — the grandfather of recovery medicine (Hazelden) and the grandmother of the recovery movement, First Lady Betty Ford,” Sullivan said. “It’s a real honor to be asked, and their impact on our world is immeasurable.”
The Betty Ford Center was the first stop on the bus tour, following a launch event the night before in Los Angeles, where Voss — the Betty Ford Center leader — was among the speakers. She spoke alongside movie star Danny Trejo, TV celebrity Brandon Novak and American Idol-winner Noah Thompson, among others. Members of the Betty Ford Center’s outpatient clinical team in Los Angeles also attended.
The 2024 bus tour — which has nearly 20 stops and receives cornerstone support from iHeartMedia, Meta, and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — was to conclude with events in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9 and 11. Along the way, people are writing messages on the bus, turning it into a rolling billboard of empowerment and hope, representing the stories and needs of the millions of Americans affected by substance use and mental health conditions.
“Mobilize Recovery is doing a great job of bringing together notable names and brands with grassroots community members, influencers and policymakers to lift up recovery and energize change-makers in creative ways,” Voss said. “That kind of advocacy that has been a big part of our Hazelden Betty Ford mission for decades, and it’s a wonderful example of how the recovery movement continues to grow and become more diverse and impactful. Collaborating together, we are an even greater force.”
The Betty Ford Center will continue celebrating recovery when it hosts its annual alumni celebration Nov. 8–10.
