British ColumbiaTwelve men in recovery at Discovery House in Penticton, B.C. spent several months building a motorcycle in honour of their former executive director who passed away from cancer.Bike to be raffled off as fundraiser for more treatment beds in Penticton B.C. Tiffany Goodwein · CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoAddictions recovery patients at Discovery House in Penticton B.C worked to build a motorcycle in honour of their former executive director. (Submitted photo / Discovery House)At a men’s addictions recovery centre in Penticton B.C, long days of treatment programming are met with the sounds of mechanical tools and the roaring sound of a motorcycle.For the past several months 12 people in treatment at Discovery House Recovery have been building a brand new motorcycle, piece by piece, with the plan to raffle it off. The money raised will go toward more treatment beds.The fundraiser aims to meet a need, said Blaine Russell, executive director of the Penticton Recovery and Resource Society, the charity that operates three Discovery House homes.Twenty-five men are supported through different stages of recovery with Discovery House. But its waitlist fluctuates in length between 25 and 35 people. “The need to expand … is so crucial for us,” Russell said.WATCH | Recovery home residents build motorcycle: Men at addictions recovery centre build motorcycle to raise moneySeveral men at the Discovery House Recovery centre in Penticton, B.C., are building new skills and supporting their community. For months, they worked on building a motorcycle, to raise funds and honour the home’s former executive director, Jerome Abraham.Bike-building, life-buildingThe bike project is part of the assisted living centre’s recovery program, designed to help men with drug and alcohol addiction to rebuild their lives.The team started with the frame, then the brake lines. Eventually, the pearly white Chopper of Hope was born, thanks to the support of local businesses, board members, and Discovery House staff.”It was huge to see it start up for the first time and see it run,” said Lucas Kellermen, a Discovery House resident.Men in recovery at Discovery House in Penticton work to build a motorcycle. The bike took roughly five months to build. (Submitted photo / Discovery House )”The days here are pretty long. We start at 6:30 a.m. and don’t end until 8 – 8:30 at night. So to have something outside of this to look forward to once a week was huge. I think it put a smile on a lot of the guys’ faces,” Kellerman said. The 28-year-old has been at Discovery House for nearly six months.”I was living on the streets for about 10 years, and this place really helped me get my life back together. I’m currently able to work full-time, I was able to get my driver’s licence back. It has given me so many things,” he said. Discovery House receives funding from a variety of sources including the Canadian Mental Health Association, which funds 11 beds, and the Ministry of Social Development. The organization also relies on private donations. ‘A delicate dance’At Discovery House, giving back is part of the program. For the organization, that has included honouring one of their own with the bike build. The home’s former executive director Jerome Abraham, passed away from cancer in 2024. Jerome Abraham (right) passed away from cancer in 2024. The bike was built in his honour. (Submitted photo / Discovery House )”Jerome was an amazing man. He did a lot for this community. He was a pillar of this recovery community here in Penticton,” said Caleb Pompeu, who is receiving treatment at Discovery House. “He really just wanted the best for everyone. He put himself aside, just to help someone,” he added. Pompeu, who has struggled with addiction on and off for 25 years, said that working on the motorcycle in honour of Abraham has helped with his and others’ recovery journeys.”Recovery is a very delicate dance, but it is a beautiful thing to be involved in, whether you are in addiction or not. To see someone change like people do when they are in recovery, when they really want it, is really, really amazing,” he said.Across the valley, Interior Health says there are 57 addiction treatments beds in the Okanagan and that how long someone waits depends on the severity of their need. It did not say how many people are currently waiting for treatment.With the bike raffle, Discovery House aims to raise close to $200,000, with all proceeds going toward funding more recovery beds in Penticton. The draw will take place on Nov. 7. ABOUT THE AUTHORTiffany Goodwein is an award-winning journalist focused on covering Penticton and the south Okanagan area of British Columbia. She previously spent six years reporting in Alberta and is happy to be back home in B.C., where she grew up. You can contact her at tiffany.goodwein@cbc.ca
Recovery patients in Penticton, B.C. find hope in motorcycle build
