“I had no clue he was going to say anything,” Tyler Harris said of his father's public comments during Thursday night's community drug summit at Kirkwood Adams Community Center. “Just to hear him say it, I had a feeling no drug could give me.”

Tyler came to the summit with a group of other recovering addicts from New Life Launch Pad in Wilmington, the guest of Roanoke Rapids native Wayne Ray, the director of the program.

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“I blamed a lot of his addiction on myself,” Wayne said, adding, however, “He took it upon himself to start using drugs.”

There were times when he didn't know where his son was and when the cops came knocking he wondered, “Oh, God, is he dead?”

Wayne said when he began adding up the costs of replacing the things his son stole, the costs of rehab were nothing. “You don't have to pay for court costs. Pay for recovery. Two-and-a-half years clean, I'm proud of this. That's a high.”

He called his son to the podium and they embraced.

Tyler said afterward being clean since February of 2013 has made all the difference in his life. “I'm holding a job, I have a child on the way, I'm paying my own bills, I get to help out with addicts. It's a blessing.”
There was a time, he said, when his parents didn't want him at home. “Their unconditional love put me where I'm at today.”

Ray, who has been in recovery for 19 years, spoke briefly at the summit, giving his time to other recovering addicts who made the trip from Wilmington with him.

Every four seconds, he said, an overdose death occurs across the country. Addiction is a $750 billion a year problem. “What's going to solve it? Recovery? Love and community.”

Trey, one of the recovering addicts who came with Ray, told the audience, “I just knew I wanted a different way of life.”

Clean at six months, he said, incorporating the 12 steps in his life has a made a difference. “I do a lot of service. In helping the next addict or alcoholic, it's a blessing to me.”

Tyler said, “It's a blessing to be here. I see family here and I get love from them.”

For JoJo, who has been clean for nine years, the difference was, “I was tired of hurting my family. By the grace of God, my life my life got better. I got a job. I feel blessed to be trusted. I've got a home, I'm doing service work. I wouldn't trade this life for nothing. In this world I feel free. My family loves me today. If I can do it anyone can.”