30 MAY 2021 helps draw attention to the fact that this is a real issue.” Alexander is the host of Recovery On-Air. She has over 12 years of experience working in the recovery community. Mercado describes herself as a “recovering co-dependent and love-addict who is new to the community.” “The podcast is unique in its mission to inform the public about the addiction epidemic and do it candidly,” Mercado said. “There is so much confusion surrounding the topic of addiction that we want to be the place that individuals can reach out to with questions or special requests.” Mercado hopes the podcast will reach those who want help or friends and family members of individuals who may need services. “Some of the subject matter will be important and interesting to people in recovery and those who want to know more about a topic we are covering,” Mercado said. The duo will discuss various issues, including how people can get help, information about community resources and survival stories through a segment called “So, What’s Your Story?” “In future episodes, we are interested in getting experts on both sides of the Beth Mercado Donna Alexander By Cliff Summerhill Arizona’s largest substance abuse treatment provider, Crossroads, introduced a new podcast this year to expand its reach to those who may need its help. Beth Mercado, Crossroads’ communications director, and Donna Alexander, community outreach director, launched the bi-monthly podcast to bring vital information regarding addiction and recovery to listeners. Each episode features guests who are recovery experts, addicts in recovery, community partners and many others. Recovery On- Air aims to peel away the stigma of addiction and provide an honest, candid approach to the topic. “Addiction numbers have been on the rise for years now, and often those struggling are afraid to admit they have a problem and seek help,” Mercado said. “Our podcast decriminalization topic of certain drugs,” Mercado said. “We also have a goal of getting ‘big pharma’ on to help us understand how the opioid crisis happened and to talk about their needed role in the solution.” As the podcast grows, Alexander and Mercado hope to engage the public on future ideas and guests. “Our goal and mission at Crossroads is always to help,” Mercado said. “With getting the word out there about Crossroads and our expanding services, we hope to be able to admit and help more suffering people.” Recovery On-Air is available on local personality Dave Pratt’s podcast network, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Spotify. thecrossroadsinc.org New podcast aims to help with addiction and recovery By Cliff Summerhill Students at Notre Dame Preparatory held an eight-hour telethon-style livestream event for the school’s annual Mardi Gras Giving Day, an event that helps raise money for the school’s Saints Fund. This year, students met their goal, raising over $86,000 for school improvements, equipment and tuition assistance. The fundraiser was spearheaded by students from the NDP Live! Club, which offers a wide array of opportunities to learn about marketing and media. “I’m so proud of these kids,” NDP Live! moderator Jayce Henderson said. “They are professional beyond their years and work hard to produce quality content. The success of Giving Day is all theirs.” The annual Mardi Gras Giving Day is an important fundraising event for the school, and it helps honor the students and the school’s Catholic identity. “Mardi Gras Giving Day is just a super- charged fundraising event to celebrate our school,” Kimberly Haub, assistant director of communications, said. “We chose Mardi Gras because it’s the day before Lent when many Catholics are thinking about almsgiving (giving to others as an act of virtue) and ways to give to God.” The student-led event reached their $50,000 goal in the first five and a half hours, and with the remaining time, they were almost able to double that goal. “I was so tired when it was over,” senior Juju Montes, one of the show’s co-anchors, said. “But it was worth it because we reached our goal early and then went on to raise even more money for our school.” The students produced various entertainment segments for the event, including interviews with alumni, current students, and representatives from other school programs. Most notably, drama student Olivia LaPorte sang a song from the school’s upcoming musical Little Women . Montes worked with senior Bennett Curran to produce the livestreamed show. With their media team, the duo created 84 unique videos that intertwined with live, top-of-the-hour fundraising updates and informative segments about the school. “It was a celebration of all the things we love about our school,” Jenni Douglas, alumni engagement coordinator, said. Shortly before the crew went live, they were surprised with the announcement that they had won eight awards from the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association for their work from the previous school year. The awards included recognition for news anchors Montes and Curran, two feature stories and other production achievements. The AIPA ceremony was canceled, but students received their awards in the mail in April. Notre Dame Prep hits fundraising goal – and then some Joseph Jebara (left) works the soundboard in the NDP Live Giving Day production. Carlo Lanza (right) takes a break from his on-camera anchor job to assist producers. Noah Lederer (front) updates the website for audience engagement and feeds fundraising stats to on-air anchors. PHOTO COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME PREP NO W OPEN IN ARCADIA ASK ABOUT OUR 10% DISCOUNT FOR MILITARY (ACTIVE OR RETIRED), FIRST RESPONDERS AND FIRST-TIME GUN BUYERS. Open Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat Noon – 4 p.m. 3602 E Indian School Rd, Ste 105 • Phoenix AZ 85018 480-568-GUNS(4867) • straptarmory.com At STRAPT Armory, our experienced team is dedicated to providing the best customer experience. We have great deals on guns, ammo and also offer: • Firearms training and certification • Gun safety and CCW courses • Personal protection • Accessories • Storage equipment • Optics and more

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