Years ago, Mable Clark put her hands together in prayer and begged on her knees for God to take her addiction away.
On Monday, Clark joined hands with others on the Interstate 5 Bridge and cried, celebrating 21 months of freedom from the addiction that had imprisoned her for over four decades.
Kicking off September as National Recovery Month, the 23rd annual Hands Across the Bridge event invited Clark County and Portland residents to join together across the I-5 Bridge to celebrate recovery — no matter where someone is in their journey.
The event also showcases various community resources from XChange Recovery, Lifeline Connections, Restored and Revived, Thrive2Survive, and Recovery Cafe, among many others.
Despite the persistent rain, hundreds of people attended, demonstrating that recovery is possible, breaking cycles is achievable, and starting a new life can begin today.
Recovery is possible
More than 20 years ago, Patty Katz and Louise Wedge were inspired by an article they read about National Recovery Month.
Moved by the message, they decided to commemorate their own recovery by standing on the Burnside Bridge in Portland at sunrise. Their act symbolized their emergence from addiction, celebrating their progress on top of the bridge rather than being underneath it.
This gesture laid the foundation for what would officially begin as an annual event in 2001, bringing together people in recovery and their supporters ever since.
Since then, many things in the community have changed. While many people have entered recovery, other lives were taken from drugs.
Since 1999, drug overdose deaths from opioids have surged, with more than 300,000 fatalities nationwide in the past 15 years — about 55 per day.
In Washington, 17,502 residents died from overdoses between 2007 and 2021, with 68 percent involving opioids, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
While statewide data on recovery rates is lacking, Monday’s event showcased the widespread presence of recovery in Clark County. The nonprofit Hands Across the Bridge asked attendees to share their “clean time,” and more than 970 years of sobriety were represented.
During a series of speeches, Living Hope Church pastor Brian Norris and Hands Across the Bridge Chair Tabby Stokes were given special awards for their work in Clark County. Community members then took the stage to share their stories — many centralizing on the importance of maintaining hope.
Linda Claypoole recalled how methamphetamine was once her “bandage for everything.” Homeless in Arizona, she was given a new direction after her daughter, Alizz Quarles, moved her to Vancouver with her. Claypoole began her recovery journey.
“I can’t turn back the clock to get back. But what I can do is be a good person, a good mom and a good person to my grandkids and make memories,” Claypoole said, later adding: “I just have to live my life now, enjoy it with my family. That means everything to me.”
XChange Recovery was joined on stage by dozens of people in recovery for their “Faces of Hope” demonstration. Participants held up photos — often mugshots — of themselves during their active addiction.
Terry Sweaney displayed a photo from his 40-plus years of addiction, during which he was arrested more than 50 times. The man on stage is a stark difference to the one captured in the photo.
“When this picture was taken, he (Terry) was headed to prison for 30 months for noncompliances,” Sweaney said, pointing to his picture. “He was desperately wanting a better quality of life, but not knowing how to get it.”
While facing his prison sentence, he chose to enter Clark County’s drug court diversion program — which completely redirected his life. Within a year, Sweaney got his driver’s license, housing and completed treatment programs.
“I got connected with a community of people that were doing something different. At that point, I decided to dedicate my life to my recovery,” Sweaney said.
Sweaney celebrates seven years in recovery and works as an assistant operations manager at Recovery Cafe.
“The only reason I have the life I have today is because of my recovery and because of amazing people in it,” Sweaney said.
A new life
As the rain intensified, Clark made her way through the crowd at Esther Short Park, pausing occasionally to hug familiar faces. She founded Crystal Meth Anonymous in August 2023 to offer others hope in their struggle with addiction.
Reflecting on the journey that led to her emotional moment on the bridge Monday, Clark remembers starting drug use at age 10.
Despite attending nine inpatient treatment centers over the years, she couldn’t break free from her addiction. It was only with the desire to rebuild her relationship with her children that Clark committed to recovery nearly two years ago, vowing never to look back.
Today, she proudly displays two tattoos: one marking her recovery start date and the other reading “No Matter What,” symbolizing her commitment to never return to drugs.
“I felt like I was shackled my whole life. I had these demons on my back my whole life, and I’d wake up in the darkness and I felt all alone,” Clark said. “Now I get up each morning and I’m grateful. I feel like I’ve been asleep all these years and now I’ve woken up and can finally breathe again.”
