Health Department Awards Starfish [AUDIO]

The Wyoming Department of Health has given out its Starfish Awards to Wyoming residents, and one of the recipients is Dan Cantine (can TYEn), who was instrumental in the founding of the 12-24 Club in Casper.

Refuge for recovery:

"To have a place where people could go when they were seeking recovery from alcohol or drugs and a good, safe place where they could meet other people who were successful in beating that problem, so the nine of us pooled our money together and started a non-profit called the 12-24 Club."

The awards are named from the story of a little boy throwing starfish washed up on the beach back into the ocean. A stranger tells the boy he can't save them all, but the boy replies that he can save this one, and tosses a starfish back into the water.

Mr. Cantine acknowledges how difficult it is for people to recover from addiction to alcohol or drugs, but says 12-step programs do work.

One success makes it worthwhile:

"There certainly gotta be skeptics in everything but our philosophy is that if that one person walks through that door and is able to change their life, then all of the efforts have been very worthwhile."

Other Wyoming recipients of the Starfish Award include: Renee Corsi of Jackson; Jamie Dakis of Jackson; BJ Ayers of Cheyenne; Lois “Lou” Dowell of Cheyenne; Laura Griffith of Cheyenne; Evanston Youth Group; Johnson County Wellness Group; Jerry Osborn of Buffalo; Leona McGraw of Gillette; and Andi Nokes of Laramie