Dan Cantine to Receive Mick & Susie McMurry Cowboy Code Try Award for impacting live through the 12-24 Club

Casper - Dan Cantine, founder of the 12-24 Club, will be this year's recipient of the Mick & Susie McMurry Cowboy Code Try Award at the 25th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming Awards & Recognition Breakfast on September 18th. The 12-24 Club is a place of Recovery and Hope for those walking through addiction.  
 
Dan’s journey began on June 3, 1986 when he decided to reach out for help with his addiction. He said “When you’re young, you think life’s a party. My friends moved on from that phase of life, and I didn’t. I desperately wanted to stop drinking. There was a point when I knew I couldn’t do this anymore.” Dan entered a 12-step program and recently celebrated 38 years of sobriety. Eight years into his sobriety journey, he and others in recovery had a vision for a place where people could seek help and meet regularly. After six months of planning, the 12-24 Club opened its doors in Mills. 
 
Since its opening in 1993, the Club has had three locations, with its most recent move to its Wolcott Street location. The Club provides meeting spaces for various 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Co-Dependents Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Eating Disorders Anonymous, and grief support groups. In addition to these programs, the Club serves meals at the Fresh Start Cafe. He recommends their world-famous french fries. It’s called the 12-24 Club because many members have found sobriety through the various 12-step programs, they emphasize taking it “a day at a time” therefore “24 hours,” and  because it represents a Club where individuals support each other, as recovery cannot typically be achieved alone, but often can together.
 
Dan said “It’s all about helping that ONE person. Every day someone walks through those doors sad and scared, and we get to watch them leave with a sliver of hope. You can see the difference this place makes.” 
 
Every year the Mick & Susie McMurry Cowboy Code Try Award honors a person in the community who has lived out the Cowboy Code to its fullest. “The Try” is a noun given to someone who has the quality of giving 110 percent to the task or challenge at hand. Dan is the embodiment of “The Try,” having helped thousands of people in his lifetime. 
 
When asked what advice to people who are struggling with addiction, Dan said “Ask for help. Whether you are struggling yourself or know someone who is, reach out. There are people who want to help.”
 
The 25th Annual Awards & Recognition Breakfast will honor Trudi Holthouse and feature keynote speaker Jimmy Wayne. All proceeds will go to support the $5.2 million dollar annual operating budget. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming provides out of school care to youth ages 5-18 in four counties across Central Wyoming. There is no cost to attend the breakfast event, but guests are asked to make a meaningful contribution. To reserve your spot go to bgccw.org/events or call (307)235-4079.