Hey, this is cool! Trey Anastasio, leader of the massively popular jam band Phish, has just announced plans to open a non-profit center for substance abuse treatment in Ludlow, Vermont. Anastasio, a recovering addict himself, has a nonprofit called the Divided Sky Foundation, and that nonprofit recently bought a property in Ludlow that will become a treatment center that’ll be run by Ascension Recovery Services. The Foundation plans to open the center by the end of the year.

The purchase of that property was supported by The Beacon Jams, Anastasio’s virtual residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Last year, Anastasio played an eight-week run at the Beacon and broadcast it on Twitch. Anastasio encouraged donations, and fans chipped in with $1.2 million. Vermont has a high overdose rate and few treatment centers, so a new center like this could have a huge impact.

In a press release, Anastasio says:

Substance use disorders affect people from all walks of life, and the problem is intimately linked with isolation — whether that’s isolation due to the pandemic or for any other reason. The Beacon Jams helped us find a way to connect people and get this project off the ground. To be able to do that together during this difficult year touches my heart…

Like so many people in America and so many in Vermont, I became addicted to opiates. I was extremely lucky to have access to care, and I know how important it is to be part of a recovery community. I’m grateful that we can help provide that opportunity for others.

You can find out more about Divided Sky Foundation here.