Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Bolton, Alex Bumbaugh and Bree Brown.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sarah, Alex and Bree. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Sober Eve launched in 2017 as an alcohol-free pop up night club. Our goal was to create a space that felt as hot as any other New Year’s Eve party without the temptation of champagne being passed to you at midnight. Initially intended as a party for people in recovery from substance use disorder, we quickly realized that all types of people wanted to come party with us! While many attendees are in recovery, some just don’t care to be around alcohol.
We have DJ’s spinning, a killer light show, a mocktail & coffee bar, and an epic confetti drop at midnight. Our attendees are 16 to 76, every race, every sexual orientation, every socioeconomic background. We are united by our desire to party with purpose!
Each year, Sober Eve chooses a different recovery oriented non-profit beneficiary to receive every dollar earned from the event. In 2020, we selected A Way Out Women’s Center, which provides free detox to women in need. We raised over $8,000 to support this amazing organization!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A party like this takes a lot of money to put on! We intentionally wanted to keep ticket costs low to make the party accessible to all (they are $10 in advance and $20 at the door). Therefore we relied on sponsor donations to make this dream a reality. Our first two years, we went into the event upside down praying that door ticket sales would cover our costs!
We were also terrified that no one would show up. While we thought it was an amazing idea, what if no one else did?!? Thankfully we had over 300 people attend our inaugural event. Attendance has steadily grown with 2020 boasting over 500 attendees!
Please tell us about the organization.
We are a group of women who are either in recovery or support recovery. We are passionate to end the stigma associated with substance use disorder. We believe that a life in recovery is not boring or the end of your social life, rather it is the beginning! If just one person stays sober instead of using on New Year’s Eve, then all the hours of work are well worth it! Oh, and we’re volunteers…. We don’t get paid to put this on!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 832.922.3604
- Email: sobereve2020@gmail.com
- Instagram: @soberevehtx
- Facebook: @soberevehtx
Image Credit:
Michael Tabbert
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
