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A former Tampa Bay Buccaneer is coming to town and is sharing his personal story to educate our youth and parents about drug and alcohol prevention.
WhiteSands Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center and The Cape Coral Police Department are partnering to present NFL Alumni Randy Grimes to speak at the HELP (Helping Education Loving Parents) Program in October.
The HELP Program works with local professional resources to educate parents, school employees, community leaders and government agencies regarding prevention and educating teens and youth about the dangers of alcohol and drug use related issues. Prevention is the overall goal to ending opioid addiction.
Grimes, a Baylor University graduate and an award-winning 10-year veteran of the NFL, crawled on his hands and knees into treatment for an opioid addiction that developed while treating career-related injuries.
Grimes is now in recovery from his over-20-year addiction. He has made it his life's mission to change the way we think about these life and death issues and to help others struggling with addiction.
"I realize now why played football all those years... and it was to prepare me for what I'm doing now," said Grimes. "If being a former professional athlete gets me in the door somewhere and helps somebody – helps save a life or helps plant a seed in somebody, then that's what it was all about."
The HELP program starts back up at a significant time as the country continues to fight the growing opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. drug overdoses reached a record-high in the pandemic year of 2020, soaring almost 30% from the year before to 93,331.
Such statistics why Grimes continues to spread his message and story of prevention and determination to audiences. He founded Pro Athletes in Recovery (AIR) in 2013 with his wife, Lydia, to help other professional athletes tackle and overcome addiction. Grimes has also worked in the treatment industry for 9 years and currently works with WhiteSands Treatment to connect athletes to treatment.
This program will also be connected with Red Ribbon Month in Lee County. The Red Ribbon Awards Ceremony honors local high school students for their athletic and academic achievements, and the Red Ribbon Celebration showcases Lee County’s Drug Free Kids.
Grimes will speak at The Cape Coral Police Department on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. Register for the free event on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com/e/tampa-bay-buccaneer-alumni-randy-grimes-speaks-at-help-program-tickets-163893268177