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Once adversaries on the streets, police officers and former drug addicts will face off against each other in the Cops & Robbers Allstar Softball Game Friday to show that recovery is possible. “It’s a great way to give back to the community and show that people can get along, you know, no matter where they come from. Back when I was in my addiction, I never thought this was possible or this would even happen,” said former addict Justin Hon, a member of the Robbers softball team. Once a regular at the Jackson County Jail who had lost custody of his kids, Hon now works at the Family Nurturing Center in Medford, helping clients who have experienced substance abuse become better parents. Hon will sport the number 6.5 on his orange team shirt to show the number of years he’s been clean. Members of the Cops team will wear blue. During the first Cops & Robbers matchup in 2017, the Robbers edged out the Cops with clutch runs in the last inning of the high-scoring game. This year promises to be another nailbiter as the teams duel. Gates open to the free game at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Harry & David Field, 2929 S. Pacific Highway, Medford. Free hot dogs and drinks will be given out while supplies last. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. “The Cops, they field a team every year to play in the tournament, so they’re really good. And the Robbers, a lot of us play in softball leagues, so we also are pretty good at softball, but, you know, they’re a little bit better,” admitted Robbers head coach Nick Weaver. But he promised his team will come out swinging as they seek back-to-back victories. “We’re really good in the field. We have a few pretty big hitters on the team, so hopefully we can hit a few home runs and stop them from scoring,” Weaver said. A solid batter himself, Weaver will wear No. 6 to represent the years since he broke free of an addiction that started with prescription opioids and progressed to methamphetamine and heroin. He lost his job and ended up in legal trouble. Stints at rehab didn’t work until he tried Foundations for Recovery, a Medford-based organization that offers peer mentoring and other services. The Cops & Robbers softball game is part of Foundations for Recovery’s fifth annual Drive Out Drugs Recovery Festival & Carnival Friday evening and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Harry & David Field. Weaver said his life now is dramatically different than when he was addicted. “It’s pretty much a complete 180. I met my wife after I got clean. We had two kids. I have a really good job now, a career actually,” he said. Doug Gould, executive director of Foundations for Recovery, said the Robbers name for the team shows how far the guys have come. “We try to change the labels we use to view people, especially those in addiction,” Gould said. “They’ve been labeled with words like thief, tweaker, addict, robber. That’s where we once were, but that’s not where we are anymore. We are no longer our label. Today I live a successful life in recovery and sobriety.” In the past, some of the police officers playing in the softball game arrested some of the members of the Robbers team. “They’re very receptive to seeing us,” Weaver said of the officers. “And you can tell that they’re happy that everyone’s doing well on this team. It makes them feel good about their job. They’re not arresting us anymore. We’re not out on the run anymore.” Robbers player Brian Eichenlaub, No. 11.5, said he hopes the softball game and entire recovery festival will give people hope that recovery is possible. At his lowest point, he was homeless and his health was deteriorating. “I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know that’s the cliché, but it’s just I was tired of dying — and I was dying. It wasn’t going to happen quick. It was going to be long and slow, and I always hoped for a better life but never found the strength to grab it until I did,” Eichenlaub said. For those interested in experimenting with drugs, Eichenlaub and Hon said nothing good can come of that choice. “I would tell them that it’s definitely not worth it. If they want to go that route, they might as well just give up everything, because this is going to ruin their life,” Hon said. Trying drugs has become even more risky in recent years. Dealers are adding fentanyl — a powerful opioid that can be lethal — into everything from heroin to counterfeit prescription pain pills. A wave of deadly overdoses that started in the eastern United States has spread to the West, including Jackson County. Even before the overdose spike hit, Hon said, he saw drugs devastate the community. He goes to parks and hits the streets to carry a message of hope to struggling addicts. “It’s just sad. So I try to go and reach out to some of them and let them know that there’s a solution if they’re willing to put forth the effort to do it,” Hon said. During the Recovery Festival & Carnival, more than two dozen organizations will offer information about everything from addiction recovery to parent support groups. “We get so much negative news about what addiction causes in our community,” Gould said. “Sometimes we forget about all the wonderful organizations working to provide good services. We don’t see the family being restored, and mom and dad reunited with their kids. If someone comes out and they can see the positive, maybe they’ll say, ‘I should try again. Maybe I shouldn’t give up.’ If I can get one person out of addiction, it’s worth it.” The family-friendly festival includes music, carnival games, pony rides, a petting zoo, a water maze, a bounce house, face painting, food and drink concession stands and raffles of items donated by local businesses. New this year, the Overcoming Obstacles Challenge will pit members of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery against each other. “We want to have a fun competition between the recovery meeting organizations,” Gould said. “Whatever obstacle comes before us in life, we take it head-on and we don’t have to drink or use.” Members of the public, including kids, are also welcome to run the obstacle course. All day Saturday, local police and fire departments will compete for glory in the annual Guns ‘n’ Hoses softball tournament. The defending champions — firefighters from Jackson County Fire District 5 serving the Talent and Phoenix area — will battle to preserve their title. As for the Cops & Robbers softball game kicking off the festival, Weaver is predicting his Robbers team will pull out a win again this year by a score of 10 to 6. Eichenlaub is also hoping for a win. “There’s a lot of skilled players out here from all different walks of life, and I’m sure we’re going to bring it to them, he said. Eichenlaub added, “It’ll be close. But I see us coming out on top.” For more information about the festival and Foundations for Recovery, see ffrhope.com or call 541-245-4673. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.