Betty Ford celebrated ahead of what would have been 100th birthday
The legacy of former first lady Betty Ford lives on in the Coachella Valley nearly seven years after her death.
A pioneer for equal pay, breast cancer awareness and addiction recovery, she formed the Betty Ford Center in 1982. The Rancho Mirage facility is honoring her this month, ahead of what would have been her 100th birthday on Sunday.
“Mrs. Ford said April was really a month where her year began,” Helene Photias, who manages the children’s program at the center, told reporter Katie Widner. “April Fools’ Day was when she was intervened on. Her family decided she needed an intervention. Tomorrow, April 7, is her actual sobriety date and the day following is her birthday. “
Throughout the week, there have been celebrations, activities and lectures held in her honor.
“Her spirit lives throughout these walls. As you walk through the halls, you certainly feel not only her strength and her courage, but how everyone honors what she did for the addiction field so many years ago,” Photias said. “We feel blessed to know that there was someone who took a stand to make a difference in this world and we’re really proud to continue her legacy.”
In 2014, the Betty Ford Center merged with the Hazelden Treatment Center to create the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. In 2017 alone, the foundation touched 20,993 lives through 17 sites across the country. The foundation also provided almost $10 million in patient aid to people who needed help to access treatment.
