Soberfest 2025

​A Weekend of Contrast—and a Call to Action
Last weekend, I was in Vancouver for a baseball tournament. We stayed in a beautiful spot in Surrey, BC. One morning, I went out to grab some juice—and that’s when I saw him.
A man lay on the ground, spread-eagle. Nobody stopped. Nobody even looked. I didn’t either. I assumed he was alive and kept walking.
When I came back, he was gone.
That night, I saw what looked like a lifeless body being loaded into an ambulance. The next morning, another ambulance, another body on the ground—motionless, possibly there all night.
It was hard to reconcile. On one hand, I was surrounded by amazing families, cheering on kids playing baseball. On the other, I saw the brutal, unfiltered reality of addiction and what it’s doing to our communities. We are in a sad state.
Last year, I met a guy named Mike Manhas. He asked me to help with an event called SoberFest Victoria. When he explained how the event raises funds to expand access to addiction treatment, I said yes. Doing nothing wasn’t an option anymore.
Mike has spent the past year relentlessly pushing this cause forward. Thanks to his work, more people now have access to treatment—people who otherwise wouldn’t get help.
So here’s your chance to be part of something real.
SoberFest is on August 2nd. There’ll be live music, food trucks, and giant bouncy castles. It’s a celebration—but it’s also a movement. Every ticket helps fund treatment and spread awareness.
Even if you can’t attend, just buying a ticket makes a difference.
Mike’s been through addiction himself. That’s why this means everything to him. And to me.
Let’s stop walking past the problem. Let’s start being part of the solution.