Guy Bonnell has a long history with Renascent. It was almost 30 years ago that Guy attended Renascent’s first Recovery Shot Golf Tournament. At the time, Guy was just one year into his recovery. Since then, Guy has been a true Renascent champion, serving a myriad of roles, including chairing Renascent Recovery Shot, and sitting on Renascent and Renascent Foundation Board of Directors.
A true golf enthusiast and an advocate for recovery, Guy returns this year as Chair of Renascent Recovery Shot Golf Tournament. The event is being held on Wednesday, September 21 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham.
Guy leads a team of volunteer committee members, providing critical direction as Renascent aims to surpass its fundraising goals of years past. With the growing demand for addiction treatment and mental health services – especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic began – the need to raise these critical funds is greater than ever.
“There is great value in engaging the community around the important work that Renascent does to help save lives. Renascent is a leader in this field of addiction treatment and this golf tournament is a great platform to raise funds and create awareness of this social issue,” said Guy. “I have personally witnessed what happens when those who are struggling with addiction don’t recover. I know many people who have died from this disease, which can impact anyone. In my family in particular, this disease goes back for generations.”
Private sector and community support is vital to Renascent’s operations. Funds raised through Renascent Recovery Shot are used to ensure cost is not a barrier for people in need of life-saving addiction treatment. This includes funding Renascent’s Inpatient Treatment, Continuing Care, Alumni Care, and Family Programs.
“Addiction is a mental disease, for which there is no pill or cure, other than abstaining and getting into a treatment program that can help us get rid of the mental obsession,” said Guy. “We also know that addiction impacts families and communities, so being able to provide assistance through scaffolding programs helps all involved recover.”
Guy’s participation in Renascent Recovery Shot is also about carrying the message that there is hope for recovery and to help destigmatize addiction.
“Organizations have an obligation to ensure mental health, addictions, and wellness services are available to their employees. Conversations about this are important and Recovery Shot Golf Tournament is one of the many ways that we are able to engage with organizations and provide important information about the disease of addiction,” said Guy. “If organizations can provide a workplace environment that is safe and free of judgment, and recognize that recovery is possible, that’s a huge win for everyone.”
If you are interested in becoming a Renascent Recovery Shot sponsor or would like to participate, visit our tournament’s website to learn more: https://renascentrecoveryshot.ca/
