Fri, Nov 21, 2008
 Ralph Morris, a volunteer, is helping to coordinate the Tucson Recovery Walk, Youth Expo and Rally on Sept. 27 at Reid Park. Morris shows an example of aerosol art by Tucson artist Rock Martinez as commissioned for the Rialto Theatre.
Photo courtesy of Ralph Morris
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Volunteer's goal in life is to prevent kids from abusing drugsSpecial to the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.13.2008
On Feb. 9, 1987, Ralph Morris made a deal with destiny: He promised he would dedicate his life to young people and the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in exchange for freedom from dialysis.
More than two decades later, the wager has paid off for Morris and the local youths he has helped through his work as a project coordinator with the city of Tucson Community Services Department and his involvement in organizations such as the Pima County Youth Substance Abuse Committee.
"Part of the reason I lost my kidney was because of drug and alcohol abuse. My donor was from a shooting on the South Side, and when I received his kidney, I was told it would probably only last six months. That's when I made the promise," said Morris, 54, who retired from his position with the city two days ago after 26 years.
"I was working for the city when I had the transplant, and I have done everything I can since then to give back to the public housing program," Morris said.
Though his duties with the city have ended, Morris plans to continue to promote awareness about alcohol and drug abuse. In particular, he wants to educate adults and children about the dangers of alcohol, which he said is often considered more socially acceptable than drugs.
"Alcohol is still a drug. New studies show that alcohol affects long-term development of the brain up to 25 years of age. Anyone providing alcohol to kids under the age of 21 is actually harming a child more than they realize. It is not a matter of, 'It's OK because everyone else drinks,' " he said.
Education about the options for treatment of addiction and prevention of substance abuse is the impetus for the Tucson Recovery Walk, Youth Expo and Rally, which will be held Sept. 27 at Reid Park.
The daylong event is expected to draw more than 1,200 people.
The walk will be followed by an information fair, recovery stories, live music, a free lunch, a clothing bank and youth activities. There will also be performances by CAST (Clean and Sober Theatre), a Compass Health Care peer-to-peer prevention and education program featuring stories of youths whose lives have been impacted by addictions.
CAST director Susan Arnold said the "raw" performances resonate with many at the event, since they depict harsh realities that many have experienced firsthand. She said the performances often aid participants in their recoveries.
"They are able to give back to the community to help other people in their shoes, and the impact on the audience is powerful, if not cathartic as well, because they are seeing their lives onstage," she said.
Art as a form of expression to facilitate healing is also encouraged through another medium at the expo: painting via portable walls for graffiti, or "aerosol art."
Morris is coordinating the project in hopes of promoting appreciation of aerosol art as a modern art form while helping young people learn acceptable, legal outlets for "tagging."
Morris plans to preserve murals painted during the event for use in interiors and exteriors of local recreation centers, public buildings and private homes.
"There is a market for the art of these young people. There are places for them to utilize their skills with media and marketing companies. This type of art can lead into careers for these young people, instead of landing them in jail for vandalizing property," he said.
Overall, Morris said, he is just one small cog in the wheel of agencies, businesses, city and county employees and other volunteers who are bringing the walk, expo and rally to fruition in hopes of deterring young people from abusing alcohol and drugs.
The event is being coordinated by the Pima County Youth Substance Abuse Committee, Meth Free Alliance, Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, Compass Health Care, La Frontera Center, Hope Recovery Inc. and CODAC Behavioral Health Services.
"I have always been a proponent of prevention, as opposed to treatment, since preventing something is so much better than spending the money to treat it," Morris said. "It is that old 'apple a day' kind of thing."
● Contact freelance writer Loni Nannini at ninch2@comcast.net.
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