Reprinted from Long Beach Gazette - June 18, 2007

By Britt Warner
my.style contributor

John McDaid had been sober for ten days when he attended last year’s annual Freedom Festival with his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.

“I’d just quit drinking after a disastrous twelve-year addiction,” he recalls.

At age 25, the Carson resident hadn’t attended a social gathering without “getting trashed” since he was 13-years-old.

“The thought of being surrounded by strangers without ‘using’ terrified me,” he says. “I had nothing to dull the edges, no drunken façade to hide behind. I thought it would feel like showing up to school naked, with everyone staring and judging.”

But something amazing happened.

“I had a great time,” McDaid admits. “The music was awesome, everyone was smiling and dancing and so genuinely friendly. Seeing hundreds of people having fun while being completely sober was eye-opening.”

Former substance abuser Joe Buck founded the Freedom Festival in 2004 as part of his own healing process. The idea was to create an affordable, all-day music and arts celebration for individuals and families who were in recovery from addiction.

“This is about giving back to some of the brothers and sisters in the program and to the community,” Buck says. “And music is a wonderful way to give back.”

For the fourth consecutive year, Anne Kelly, Radio Rock Jock and host of Anne Kelly’s Recovery Radio, will emcee.

“Back in the day at rock concerts, you could smell the marijuana and people were partying their butts off,” she laughs. “It’s very different to see people enjoying music and sunlight on this side of the street, clean and sober. You’re able to remember (the experience). You’re not throwing up in the bathroom.”

Not everyone’s having a blast, though.

“The police, the security guards, are bored out of their minds,” she says. “There’s no fighting or drama (to break up). It’s great.”

Kelly recently celebrated her fifth anniversary of sobriety.

“That’s why a lot of us (former addicts) do events like this, why we’re proactive,” she says. “By attraction, we can show that there is life on the other side, that you can go years without drinking. I didn’t think I could go thirty minutes, much less five years.”

Chris Warren, 23, accompanied his younger sister to last year’s event, held at Veteran’s Stadium at Long Beach City College.

“My sister’s been in (Narcotics Anonymous) for three years,” says Warren. “I went with her for moral support. I don’t consider myself to be an alcoholic by any means, but I definitely have a few beers a week.”

Warren expected to be bombarded by anti-substance paraphernalia. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised.

“No one was sitting there saying, ‘Don’t drink or do drugs, you’re a bad person if you do.’ The whole vibe was very positive and focused on having a great time. Plus, the bands were awesome. I’m going again this year for sure, and bringing some friends along.”

People from all walks of life are seeing that a straightedge afternoon (or existence) can be fun.

“You can laugh, you can rock out,” Kelly says. “Alcohol and drugs are not necessary to tap into that side of life, which I thought was impossible, that there’s not gonna be any way to party or have fun, but it’s quite the contrary.”

McDaid agrees.

“Going last year was affirmation that I’d made the right choice by deciding to clean up my act,” McDaid says. “It also inspired me to stay the course, which I’ve done for nearly one year now.”

Performers and program organizers all donate their time and talents free of charge.

The 4th Annual Freedom Festival will be held June 24th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Long Beach Police Officer’s Academy Park, 7390 E. Carson St. For more information, visit www.freedomfestival.us or call (562) 221-3766.

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