Lewis County Drug Court receives hefty donation at finish of annual 'Chasing Recovery -- Not Records' 5K

May 13-Graduates of the Lewis County Drug Court program, active participants and their many supporters, from family to community members, ran and walked together this week to show their support and commitment to recovery.

"Judge (J. Andrew) Toynbee gives us three, three life skills to follow, which is, show up, be honest and do your best," Lewis County Drug Court graduate Kiya Kenney said at the event Monday evening. "If you apply those three things in your life, you will be successful in this program, and this program has helped me become a great person today."

Lewis County Drug Court held its annual "Chasing Recovery - Not Records" 5K running and walking event Monday evening, starting at Stan Hedwall Park in Chehalis.

After the tiring part of the event, attendees watched and celebrated as Kenney received her three-year sobriety coin, and as a longtime supporter of the program presented the Foundation for Therapeutic Courts of Lewis County with a hefty donation.

Washington state Fraternal Order of Eagles President and Adna resident Fred Brattain presented a donation of roughly $5,000 to the Foundation for Therapeutic Courts of Lewis County. Roughly $300 of the donation came directly from members of the nearby Castle Rock Eagles Chapter.

Before getting to the fun stuff, though, attendees had to put in the work. Starting at 5:30 p.m., runners and walkers, Drug Court participants, family and community members set out from the southern entrance of Stan Hedwall Park near the park's picnic pavilion. Dressed in black Lewis County Drug Court shirts, runners and walkers headed south along Rice Road on a route that featured views of both Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier.

Participants, alumni and law enforcement officials helped staff the event, manning checkpoints with water bottles and meeting runners at the finish line while reading off times as participants completed their roughly 3-mile run.

According to event organizers from Lewis County Drug Court, 234 people registered to participate as part of what is unofficially the ninth such event. The event began in 2018 and took a pause for two years during the height of COVID-19, during which time event organizers encouraged a walking challenge that bridged the gap under restrictions on large gatherings.

After all runners and walkers had returned to the park Monday, they gathered around the park's picnic pavilion for sandwiches and announcements.

The three fastest runners in five different categories - men, women, boys, girls and active participants - received medals for their achievements.

Dennis Keith posted the fastest time out of everyone at 19 minutes and 30 seconds and took first place among the men.

Bethany Davis took first place among the women with a time of 28 minutes and 55 seconds.

Lena Urich was the fastest girl at 32 minutes and 23 seconds, and JC Winebrenner was the fastest boy at 25 minutes and 11 seconds.

Jeremiah Ryland was the fastest to finish the course among the active Drug Court participants, finishing with a time of 30 minutes and 35 seconds.

Brattain also made his donation official.

According to the president of the Washington state Eagles, his position meant he got to decide on a project for the group to support this year. He chose Lewis County Drug Court because he had seen the work firsthand.

Brattain attended weekly Drug Court meetings in the Lewis County Law and Justice Center years ago in support of his granddaughter who was participating in the program. She has since graduated and is an alumni of the program.

"I saw some phenomenal things that the Drug Court has accomplished," Brattain said to the runners and walkers around the pavilion. "And every one of you here makes this a success."

Brattain said later that he had recently spent his time traveling to Eagles' chapters around the state and telling each one of them about the work his local drug court was doing. He knew he couldn't ask every chapter to chip into a donation for a program in just one county. Instead, he urged members of the Eagles in nests from Spokane to Skagit to invest in their local drug court programs.

According to Lewis County Drug Court Administrator Stephanie Miller, the roughly $5,000 donation is the largest that the local therapeutic court foundation has received during any of its 5K events through the years.

The money does not go to the Lewis County therapeutic courts programs, which operate under the umbrella of the Lewis County Superior Court, and do not receive the funding themselves. Instead, the money goes to the local foundation and nonprofit created to support those programs.

According to Miller, the foundation helps pay for things that the court cannot. It might help someone purchase clothes for a job interview or pay for fees to take a GED test. The foundation also funds social events and helps operate the Lewis County Drug Court house, all intended to help support the local drug court participants.

The Lewis County Drug Court, like many in the state and across the country, offers individuals convicted of drug related offenses a structured path to vacating those sentences.

It requires sobriety, substance use disorder treatment, steady employment or education and many other essentials to help participants build a stable life.

Lewis County Drug Court is a felony diversion program where successful graduates have their criminal charges dismissed. The program typically lasts between 16 and 22 months, with participants receiving support and guidance from a team of professionals.

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