Row for Recovery campaign raises funds for ‘Quest’ on-campus program

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – September marks National Recovery Month. Its purpose is to raise awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders.

Charleston native, Luke Shirley, is working to fund the first student-led program at his college alma mater through his non-profit Quest.

“I went to the College of Charleston, I graduated in 2018, and in a lot of ways I had an amazing experience, but it’s also one of the hardest times in my life cause I really struggled with depression at that time of my life,” said Shirley, who like many students battled with binge drinking, alcohol, and feelings of not fitting in while at college.

Shirley explains it was tough for him to ask for help, but his story doesn’t stop there.

“Your worries, your fear, your doubt, your insecurities, your struggles always weigh bigger and more daunting than it seems when you’re alone and you’re in your head and you’re caught in your head. I mean, that’s certainly what I did,” said Shirley.

Turning his struggles into solutions, the founder and director of the mental health non-profit is on a mission to make students feel safe.

“Quest is really kind of creating something on the College of Charleston campus, and it’s a student letter organization that is always that resource that I really wish I had,” said Shirley. And it’s one that students like Ace Kelly are now thankful for.

“And it was a little scary because I’m trans, so I didn’t know how, like people were going to react to that because I know it’s like, it’s a touchy topic for some people,” said Kelly who serves as the president organization leader for Quest at the College of Charleston.

“I think a lot of people get stuck in their own head about, you know, this school social life is everything and this academic life on campus is everything, but there’s so much more than that I think Quest for me did a really good job of showing that by introducing me to so many people,” said Kelly.

The student-led organization is working to help students triumph over their own struggles and help others do the same with free events and activities close to campus.

“Get out of your room, because if you’re in the same space where you’ve been struggling, you will continue to struggle,” said Kelly.

To help with the cost Shirley has launched his first funding campaign ‘Row for Recovery.’

“When you take people out on the water, you just, even if it’s just an hour or two of the day, you’re giving them something to do that’s not involving, just themselves and it frees them of concern,” said Shirley.

One day at a time for 30 days Shirley rows on the Folly River, but he doesn’t paddle alone.

“And it frees them from themselves, and the water, and I think nature just has a way of naturally doing that,” said Shirley.

If you’d like to join and work on your skills with Shirley, click here.

“I’m improving since I’m out here every day for 30 days and actually the last day we’re doing a 30-mile paddle, so anybody that wants to join me on the 30-mile paddle, a little crazy, but we’re going to do an end of the campaign 30-mile paddle, so I’m just putting that out there. Haha,” said Shirley.