Mayor proclaims Voices of Hope Day; council honors RISE STEM Academy and Sandersville Elementary

Mayor Linda Gorton presented three proclamations during the May 8 Urban County Council meeting: she declared May 8, 2025, as Voices of Hope Day to mark the recovery-support nonprofit’s 10th anniversary, and she proclaimed separate recognition days for the RISE STEM Academy for Girls academic team and the Sandersville Elementary academic team after both won the 2025 Superintendent’s Cup in the Urban League Academic Challenge.

Alex Elswick, co-founder of Voices of Hope, accepted the proclamation alongside his mother, Shelly. Elswick, who recounted his personal experience with substance use disorder and recovery, said Voices of Hope has connected thousands to “evidence-based treatments” and distributed “tens of thousands of doses of naloxone, which have resulted in thousands of overdose reversals.” He added that the organization helped pioneer naloxone access locally and supports multiple recovery pathways, including medications for opioid use disorder and peer-delivered services.

The mayor read separate proclamations for two academic teams. The RISE STEM Academy for Girls’ proclamation noted the team’s Superintendent’s Cup victory and said the winning students received college scholarships from Midway University. A second proclamation recognized Sandersville Elementary’s Superintendent’s Cup win, noting scholarships from Morehead State University. Councilmember Shayla Lynch spoke at length to congratulate the students and listed individual RISE team members by name and cited scholarships reported as $12,000 during her remarks.

Why it matters: Proclamations are ceremonial recognitions that signal municipal endorsement and public acknowledgment of local nonprofit work and youth academic achievement. The Voices of Hope proclamation highlights local recovery services and naloxone distribution; the school proclamations recognize student achievement and scholarship awards.

What was said

Alex Elswick (Voices of Hope): “We’ve distributed tens of thousands of doses of naloxone, which have resulted in thousands of overdose reversals, quite literally thousands of lives saved,” Elswick said. “We’ve pioneered around so many different aspects of recovery and recovery science.”

Councilmember Shayla Lynch: “Scholars, your steadfast dedication to your academic success has made your council member and your city super proud of you,” Lynch said while congratulating team members and naming the student winners.

Next steps

The proclamations are ceremonial and do not create city obligations. They were followed by photographs on the council chamber floor and recognition from councilmembers.