Eleven years ago, two women in recovery read an article about National Recovery Month and realized people all over the United States were celebrating their recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. They decided they would stand on top of the bridge at daybreak to celebrate that they were no longer under the bridge in their addictions. This decision marked the beginning of the Hands Across the Bridge event, a collaborative effort between Oregon and Washington to celebrate National Recovery Month.
Patty Katz and Louise Wedge, along with the support the community, held the first Hands Across the Bridge celebration on the I-5 Bridge in 2002. That first year saw about 200 people and over the next ten years, the event grew; more than 2500 people joined hands in 2012.
