If the phrase “We are not a glum lot” feels distinctly or even vaguely familiar, chances are you’ve been to an AA meeting or two in your life. The quote hopped off page 132 in the 1939 originally published edition of Alcoholics Anonymous’ Big Book, as an insistence that those in sobriety enjoy life, maintain cheerfulness, and use their experiences to help others. Nearly 85 years later, it is still voiced to counter the misconception that sobriety is joyless. It highlights that members find fun, support, and a vibrant community, and that cheerfulness and laughter are integral to recovery.
The Retreat, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and based in Wayzata, Minnesota, held its annual Imagine Gala on October 16, 2025, and presented a lively program rooted in story, celebration, and comic relief. The evening drew its theme from that page in the Big Book, “We are not a glum lot,” and more than words recited in the rooms of AA, they came to life in the fullness of 400 people in one celebratory space.
The Social Scene
The evening began with the entire planning team coming in for a huddle and sharing a collective dose of spoken gratitude. Guests mingled, shared meaningful hugs and authentic conversations, checked in on each other, and families met or reconnected with their loved ones’ sponsors or support people. The energy was uplifting as they made their way to grab a drink for the social hour and found lovely nonalcoholic options. I was happy to provide one option: the Livener Paloma with Three Spirit Drinks “Livener,” which includes English beet sugar and botanical extracts, including guayusa, schisandra berry, hibiscus, guava leaf, and natural caffeine from green tea. The Livener blend, when mixed with pink grapefruit soda and garnished with a grapefruit slice, was a conversation starter.
I’ve served nonalcoholic beverages at events where the audience prefers alcohol, and at events where the clientele opts for nonalcoholic beverages as a preference or necessity. With this crowd, nonalcoholic by nature, the conversation tended to the slippery slope of nonalcoholic drinks that are too close for comfort for the recovering alcoholic. By design, this event had no nonalcoholic beer, wine, or any cocktail with a nonalcoholic version of its alcoholic spirit counterpart (e.g., whiskey, tequila, gin, or vodka). The nonalcoholic beverages served stayed in their botanical lane of new to the palette, so as not to be triggering or reminiscent of alcohol.
The Program
Following the social hour and silent auction, guests took their seats at 10-top tables and were welcomed by the evening’s emcee, Mike Early. Between salads, entrees, and cake, we heard from Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, the Director of Family and Spiritual Recovery, and from Retreat co-founder John Curtiss, who shared an update on the build-out and renovation of The Retreat, which will open in April 2026 with a 250-person lecture hall and more. Dr. George Mann Spirit of Community Honorees Jeff and Debra Jay spoke about their work. Retreat Alumni Mark H. shared his recovery journey and the role The Retreat played, and the new women’s wing was dedicated to Karen Casey.
The Retreat’s Mission:
The Retreat’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities affected by alcohol and drug dependency by providing affordable, effective educational services grounded in the Twelve Step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Retreat represents a non-clinical, mutual-help approach to the problem of alcohol and drug dependency. This supportive, educational setting is grounded in AA’s spiritual principles. By providing a safe and supportive environment to study and practice these principles, The Retreat opens the door to a life of contented sobriety.
The evening, like any good gala, included a live auction. Auctioneer Rylie Behr did a stellar job of infusing humor, high energy, and a flowing generosity of financial contributions. Spirited giving was alive and well in the room, raising over $200,000 for The Retreat’s continuing work, reach, and expansion in their mission. We then turned our sole focus to three comedians with Minnesota origins who entertained us — Jeff Pfoser, Mike Earley, and Elise Cole. They inherently understood the Glum Lot reference as all three are sober. Simply knowing they identify with sobriety established a level of trust and added a depth of relatability for this audience.
Comedy Commentary
Comedy by comedians who identify with sobriety is feeling more welcome in 2025, as a record-low 54% of Americans say they drink alcohol. A majority now believe moderate drinking is unhealthy (Gallup News, July 2025). Comedic sketches and skits that are socially reflective and conscious of current consumer drinking preferences are prime for relatability and laughs. Word of caution, comedians who don’t work through their alcohol-related content with sober friends, or identify as sober with a modern perspective, have a higher chance of coming off as tone-deaf, offensive, or missing the mark.
Sobriety has evolved! With more people openly in recovery or choosing sobriety, the comedic candor can rise, too. For example, content about driving under the influence is, many would agree, offensive. Rare and increasingly interesting could be comedic sketches that play out group dynamics in social settings with people drinking alcohol and people in recovery, or those simply choosing not to drink. Hilarity ensues. And it’s relatable.
Comedy at Imagine
For the Imagine Gala, the comedians didn’t dish out sobriety stories or sad sober content. Rather, they stuck to delivering content that any audience would enjoy. They shared content rooted in their everyday life and life experiences. It seemed likely that they wove colorful commentary on sobriety into their usual skits as if to remind us, oh, all of this, yes, and with a sober person’s lens. Very well done and not glum.
An Alcohol-free Gala Model
The gala once again modeled for me how lively a social experience and event can be without alcohol. The buzz is the connection and conversation among people in the room, all coming together for a shared cause or interest. As a person with 11 years of sobriety who’s a frequenter of galas, I’ve attended many that are alcohol forward with wine walls (spin the wheel, win the wine), drink tickets, and unlimited wine pours at tables during live auctions to free-flow the checkbooks. Those galas are ho-hum to me now. The Retreat Gala, while sober necessary in its beverage offerings, exemplifies what other organizations hosting galas and events can look to as a healthier, nonalcoholic, more mission-aligned way to gather. Not glum —just good, clean fun and connection.
Congrats to The Retreat and to the staggering cumulative sober time amassed by individuals in the room that evening. Most certainly something to celebrate!
— Event recap provided by Jen Veralle, founder of Sparktrack, who covers events so event hosts and attendees can continue the event inspiration beyond the event itself. The summary captures the spirit of sharing and the event themes in a quick or longer form, in a digestible way, so attendees can refer to it and take action; it also allows the host to archive what was shared and build on it for future events and use in marketing promotions. In addition, for this event, Jen, founder of Mindful Drinking Movement, selected the featured nonalcoholic cocktail and provided a space for cultural conversations and education. Find her on Instagram @jenveralle and @sobernotsomber_ and LinkedIn @jenveralle or online at sparktrack.com or jenveralle.com.
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