Tuesday afternoon Austin Recovery hosted its first ever Artists on Recovery event at the ACL-Live Theatre. Attendees were treated to a delicious lunch catered by The W Hotel while guest speaker, and “Parks and Recreation” actor, Rob Lowe discussed his experience with recovery and sobriety, fielding questions from the attendees.

Lowe has been sober twenty-one years and speaks with poise about topics that are often difficult to verbalize. “Recovery changed my life. I was lucky. I took to it, right from the beginning…” Lowe said. Many aren’t as lucky. In fact, when polled, the room indicated that it was full of individuals who had dealt with, or had friends or family members who had dealt with, addiction and the ongoing recovery process.

Lowe, who hadn’t been in Austin in approximately twenty years, joked about his last visit entailing a trip to the back of Willie Nelson’s tour bus and a fistfight with John Mellencamp. He managed to walk the fine line between emphasizing the weight of the issue and keeping his conversation light. At the end of his speech, Lowe laughed, saying, “And even though on this trip I probably won’t pick any fights with celebrities, I think it’s going to be just as memorable. With that said, if Sandra Bullock wants to beef, I think I could take her.”

With over 800 people in attendance, the fundraiser for the Family House Treatment Center was an astounding success. Austin Recovery raised over $800,000 for the new facility that will provide highly specialized, family-oriented, in-residence programs for mothers and their children in need of assistance. The 21,000 square foot Family House, built by Austin’s own Sixthriver Architects, was thoughtfully constructed to create a strong sense of community and support for the families who will reside there – complete with multi-purpose play areas, family style dining and group counseling.

Austin Recovery hopes to make the Artists on Recovery fundraiser an annual event and with the support of the community at large, the Family House Treatment Center will provide life-altering support to a countless number of local families.

For more information on Austin Recovery or to donate, please visit their website.