As the sun went down on another December night, a small crowd gathered outside Penticton's Discovery House on Winnipeg Street to help shed a light on addiction.

With more than $100,000 already raised, the addiction recovery program for men celebrated its annual Shed the Light on Addictions fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 14.

"We're trying to drop that stigma of addiction," said Blaine Russell, executive director of Discovery House and former resident of the recovery home. "We work hard for the guys that come through here to help them get back in the community."

Last weekend's event was marked with stories of hope and recovery, as current clients of Discovery House spoke in front of friends, family, and elected officials after the centre turned on its Christmas lights.

"I was able to change my life and recover the most important thing, myself," client alumni Jeremy said while sharing his experience at Discovery House. "I was able to start being me again...the depression I woke up with every morning started to go away."

This marks the eighth year Discovery House has held its Shed the Light on Addictions fundraiser, which started in late November and runs until the final day of 2024.

The non-profit has set of goal of raising $150,000.

"We've been able to reach that goal over the last couple of years," Russell said. "I'm always amazed over the support we get in this community."

Russell, who has served in his current role for close to two years, acknowledged Janet Parker, a Penticton resident who recently presented Discovery House with a $50,000 cheque for the fundraiser.

Discovery House, along with supporting men in long-term abstinence-based recovery, also helps its clients find employment.

Its addiction recovery program now has three homes in Penticton.

One of which, located on Edna Avenue, was made possible thanks to a previous Shed the Light on Addictions fundraiser, according to Russell.

The non-profit's Winnipeg Street home has 13 beds and welcomes clients who are going into initial treatment. In total, when taking into account its Wade and Edna Avenue homes, Discovery House has 25 beds.

"Unfortunately, we still have a pretty heavy wait list and that's the gap we're trying to fill," Russell said.

Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee, Mayor Julius Bloomfield, and Dan Ashton 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” who previously served in both provincial and municipal roles 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” also appeared at Saturday's event.

"Discovery House has proven to be an effective means of helping people get back on that path to moving forward," Bloomfield said. "It brings a valuable answer to some of the problems that we have in Penticton."

Boultbee, meanwhile, called the local program "a beacon of hope."

"It's an example of what can happen when appropriate treatment is available," she said.

This was the first Shed the Light event at Discovery House since its former executive director, Jerome Abraham, died in March of cancer. Abraham was the face of the non-profit for more than a decade.

"He's the main reason we're here today and for everything that we've done," Russell said.