Kevin and Polly Hart,

The Harts, who have volunteered with StepUP for several years and are in recovery from addiction, were presented the Toby Piper LaBelle Award for their dedication to serving students in recovery.

Kevin, who is also a StepUP advisory board member, said working with the program has been inspiring. “Being a fellow addict and knowing firsthand what these kids have come through, to hear their stories and see them succeeding in college was very uplifting,” he said.

To , visit the MinnPost news site.

The post MinnPost features StepUP Gala honorees appeared first on News and Media.

(MINNEAPOLIS) – Two leaders in the addiction recovery community will be recognized for their commitment and generosity to Augsburg College’s StepUP® program for students in addiction recovery. Kevin and Polly Hart of White Bear Lake, Minn., will receive the Toby Piper LaBelle Award at the Augsburg College StepUP Program Gala on Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

“Kevin and Polly have brought so much value to the StepUP program, the students in recovery we serve, and the recovery community as a whole,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “We are blessed to call this dedicated couple our friends and are proud to honor them with this award.”

The Harts have given significant time and resources to the College’s program, which is a leader and award-winning model for residential addiction recovery communities at campuses across the nation. Kevin serves on the advisory board for the StepUP Program where he helps guide and shape the program. He also is a board member of The Retreat, a recovery program in Wayzata, Minn. The Harts volunteer countless hours for these programs and also mentor youth in recovery.

“I just wish there was a StepUP program around 35 years ago,” said Kevin. “So, it’s on our heart to give back and help people. We’re humbled and honored to be receiving this award.”

The Harts recently celebrated 30 years of sobriety. Kevin is an investment representative at Van Clemens and Co., Inc., in Minneapolis. Polly co-owns and operates Lila and Claudine’s Yarn and Gifts in Mahtomedi, Minn. The couple has three grown children.

The Toby Piper LaBelle Award is given to a person or family that has consistently supported young people in recovery. It is named in honor of the first recipient, Toby Piper LaBelle, for his insight and ability to advocate for the needs of recovering college students on a college campus. LaBelle was a lead advocate for students in recovery while he was a student at Augsburg College.

To attend the Gala, and to celebrate the contributions of the Harts, please register at http://www.augsburg.edu/stepup/gala/.

Augsburg College’s StepUP program strives to help students champion lives of recovery, achieve academic success, and thrive in a residential community of accountability and support.  Augsburg College is set in a vibrant Minneapolis neighborhood in the heart of the Twin Cities and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. The trademark of an Augsburg education is its emphasis on direct, personal experience. Guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.

The post White Bear Lake couple will be honored Oct. 24 for dedication to addiction recovery community appeared first on News and Media.

Kitty Harris, the associate dean of outreach and engagement in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University, was the keynote speaker at last weekend’s StepUP Gala. Harris and Augsburg’s StepUP Program director, Patrice Salmeri, are not only colleagues but also friends who have led their respective collegiate recovery programs since they filled the “big shoes” of their predecessors nine years ago.

Harris addressed the crowd of nearly 400 gala attendees on the subject of belief. She said, “Recovery calls us to become who we are meant to be and to do what we were called to do.” She added, “To believe in yourself means believing in the miracle of second chances,” and she encouraged students to believe that they could be a beacon of light for others.

Since it was founded in 1997, Augsburg’s StepUP program has given a second chance to young people, helping them find success in college and become who they were meant to be. The program has grown from 23 students in 1997 to 74 students, and in the fall of 2010, StepUP welcomed 25 new students and 49 returning students.

The annual gala, which includes silent and live auctions, raised more than $100,000 to support the StepUP program and endowment. This year Wheelock Whitney was honored at the gala with the presentation of theToby LaBelle Award.

Augsburg’s program is serving as a model for two other Minnesota colleges. Both the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth and St. Cloud State University are considering the creation of a collegiate recovery community.

Want to see more? Check out the photos on flickr.

The post StepUP® Gala – Believe in Yourself appeared first on News and Media.