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Spring is a season of renewal, and at Fellowship Hall, we are embracing exciting opportunities to support those on the journey of recovery. We are so grateful for each of you, our alumni, friends, and generous supporters, who make it possible for us to continue our mission of hope and healing.
This year, we are especially excited to host the E. Raymond Alexander Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament in the spring instead of during the heat of August. We look forward to enjoying beautiful weather while coming together to celebrate recovery and raise vital funds to support those seeking help. Whether you are playing, sponsoring, volunteering, or cheering us on, your participation makes a meaningful difference.
We are also excited to introduce our new alumni app, designed to keep our Fellowship Hall family connected. Through this app, alumni can stay in touch with one another and our staff, access valuable recovery resources, and track personal progress. Our hope is that this tool will serve as a source of encouragement and support, no matter where you are on your journey.
Another milestone we are celebrating is the successful launch of our Outpatient Partial Hospitalization Program in December 2024. This new level of care has already provided critical support to individuals who need a structured treatment option with more flexibility than a residential setting allows. We are honored to offer another path to recovery that meets people where they are.
Exciting things are happening at the Hall, and there is even more to come. Thank you for being part of this incredible community. Your continued support, generosity, and belief in our mission inspire us every day. We could not do this without you.
With gratitude,
Kelly Scaggs, MHA, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, MAC, ICAADC
President & CEO, Fellowship Hall
Some people leave their mark through their words, others through their actions. For E. Raymond Alexander, Jr., it was both. He had a way of bringing people together, of making them feel welcome, and of reminding them that recovery wasn’t just about staying sober—it was about rediscovering joy. And for Ray, one of the best places to do that was on the golf course.
As a district court judge and a dedicated advocate for the recovery community, Ray knew that addiction often took more than just a person’s health—it took their sense of belonging. He believed that camaraderie, laughter, and a little friendly competition could help rebuild what addiction had broken. What started as small Saturday morning rounds with a handful of friends soon became a tradition, one where anyone was welcome, regardless of skill level.
When Ray passed unexpectedly in 2000, the loss was deeply felt. His friends, wanting to keep his spirit alive, organized a golf tournament in his honor. What started as a small gathering has grown into something far greater. Now in its 24th year, the E. Raymond Alexander, Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament brings together 200 golfers annually for a day of competition, connection, and celebration.
Held at Bryan Park’s Players and Champions courses, the tournament is about more than just the game. It’s a reminder of Ray’s legacy—of his belief that recovery isn’t about what you’ve lost but about what you can still gain. Over the years, the tournament has raised nearly a million dollars for Fellowship Hall’s Partner Scholarship Fund, ensuring that more people have access to the help they need. This year, the Tournament will be held in the spring – fully separated from conference in late summer. Our Annual Conference will be held on August 1 – 2, 2025 – be on the lookout for updates on conference!
Whether you’re there to compete, to reconnect, or simply to enjoy the day, the tournament is a testament to the power of community. Ray used golf to show people that life after addiction could be filled with joy. Now, nearly 25 years later, his tournament is doing the same.
Wayne Smith and his brother built a successful staffing agency, enjoying the rewards of their hard work. Business was good, and so was life – at least on the surface. What started as social drinking gradually escalated. As the money flowed, so did the alcohol, but soon, that wasn’t enough. It evolved into harder substances, and before long, he was caught in a downward spiral. He sold his part of the business. He sold most of his investments. He sold his car, his townhouse, his boat. All told, he was left with about a million dollars.
How quickly can someone with a severe active addiction burn through a million dollars? In Wayne’s case – a million dollars lasted about 3 years.
The progression felt slow at first, but in hindsight, he could see how quickly it consumed him. He didn’t notice how much he was losing – relationships, self-respect, stability – until there was almost nothing left. By the time he had his first major run-in with the law, he barely recognized himself. He had a serious infectious disease due to his substance use. He was barely eating. Paranoia was setting in. He was on the verge of death.
The first time he went to treatment, he went because the judge told him to. “I got out of treatment and went to the grocery store. I’ve always been an avid reader, so I stopped by the paperback book section. I found a book entitled ‘How to be a Social Drinker’. I bought that and a case of beer and went back home.” The second instance, he went because his sister had him admitted. But Wayne always seemed to fall back into the same patterns.
By 1997, he had reached a breaking point. Years of substance use and failed attempts at treatment had brought him to the bottom. Rock-bottom. But his sister never gave up on him. She kept herself available to Wayne, even though he had long forgotten her. Eventually, armed with a spark to do right by his sister, her children and the rest of his family, he walked through the doors of Fellowship Hall for the first time. Deep down, he was expecting nothing. His track record told him this wouldn’t work. But something was different this time.
Within days, he felt a shift – small at first, almost unnoticeable, but there. He laughed again, something he hadn’t done in years. He started eating again. His mind, once lost in a haze of addiction, slowly began to clear. This time, no one was forcing him to stay. For the first time in his life, he thought he was ready to listen.
Listening wasn’t always easy. His counselor, Willie Williams, saw right through his defenses. When Willie suggested he move into Fellowship Hall’s Gateway house to continue his treatment with the Outpatient program, Wayne resisted. He thought he was above it. “I was a businessman,” he recalls. “I had money. I wasn’t like the guys who needed that.”
“You’re not going to make that decision today.” Willie advised. “I want you to sleep on it. I want you to talk to your friends here in treatment. I want you to call that sister that would not let go of you. And I want you to get down on your knees and pray to whatever concept of a higher power you’ve got.”
“As soon as I hit my knees, I remembered – oh yeah – I had committed to following instructions, to letting someone else lead the way. To surrendering.” He went to the Gateway house. Begrudgingly, at first – but it didn’t take long for him to see the wisdom in the suggestion. The Gateway house and Outpatient program provided something he hadn’t seen in years – structure, accountability, and a sense of belonging.
It wasn’t just the structured environment that made a difference. It was the people. His first sponsor, Wayne Stutts, became a guiding force. “He was everything I wanted to be – strong, confident, at peace with himself,” Wayne remembers. He had struggled with self-worth for years, but Stutts helped him see that he was enough just as he was. He met people who had walked the same road he had, people who had been at the bottom and made it back. And for the first time, he believed that maybe, just maybe, he could do the same.
Recovery, he learned, wasn’t just about quitting substances – it was about learning how to live. “It’s not the drinking and using that’s the real problem,” he says. “It’s what’s underneath.” Facing that truth was painful. He had to take a hard look at the person he had become due to trauma in his past – and that wasn’t easy. But as he peeled back the layers, something incredible happened – he began to heal.
Two and a half years into sobriety, an opportunity at Fellowship Hall opened up. A friend on the Board of Directors encouraged him to apply for the role in alumni relations, allowing him to stay connected with those who had completed treatment. Right from the start, he knew he had found something meaningful. “I loved keeping in touch with people, reminding them they weren’t alone.” Over the years, his role evolved, but his mission remained the same – helping others find their footing in recovery.
Today, he leads the Volunteer Program, connecting those in recovery with opportunities to give back. “I know just about everybody in town who’s active in AA,” he says with a smile. “And they’re the most willing volunteers I’ve ever seen.” He sees his work as a way to pay it forward, to give others the same chance he was given.
Wayne still shows up every day, not because he has to, but because he wants to. “This isn’t work to me. I love coming here.” He knows firsthand how easy it is to feel lost, how addiction can strip a person of everything they once were. That’s why he makes it his mission to remind people that recovery is possible. “You don’t have to do it alone,” he says. “Find someone you trust. Talk to someone. The secrets we keep – those are the things that make us sick. But once you let them go, you can finally start to heal.”
This month, Wayne celebrates his 25th year of working at Fellowship Hall. For him, recovery isn’t just about getting sober – it’s about connection, honesty, and service. And as long as he’s able, he’ll keep showing up, one day at a time, just as someone once did for him.
His last piece of advice? “Surrender.” Not to your lifestyle of addiction, but to someone else’s way of fighting it. “Alone, you’re powerless to it. Surrender.”
