Pizza 9 and Revel Burgers are holding a fundraiser this week to help fight against drug and alcohol addiction.

On Aug. 23, 30% of sales from each restaurant will be donated to Desert Mountain Healing, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center located in Rio Rancho.

Desert Mountain is an intensive outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program. It’s an alternative to inpatient that typically offers nine hours of treatment per week.

Sean Roberts and Gary Gamboa have seen more than 200 clients since opening Desert Mountain Healing in April 2022. However, there’s still more people who need their services.

Gamboa made a presentation at the June 28 Sandoval County Commission meeting to explain what Desert Mountain Healing does for the community and ask for help for funding to expand the services offered.

“I’m not sure what exactly funding would look like but, obviously, the more people we can get through the program, the better it benefits the community,” Gamboa said. “One in 10 people who want to get help are not able to get in a rehab. For whatever reason, you know, there’s a million different reasons, there’s no space. We get calls every day from all over the city that Albuquerque and Farmington, that nobody has space. I just want to help people get get sober and get clean. A regular walk-in client is there for 30 days; that 30-day stint is about $1,000 in cost. I guess my ask would be to consider funding for Desert Mountain so we can reach more clients out there that are addicted to drugs and alcohol.”

District 2 Commissioner Jay Block visited Desert Mountain in July and gave Gamboa and Roberts $8,000, which covers the cost of a 30-day treatment for one person.

“Drugs and alcohol have touched my family,” Block said. “I’ve seen it firsthand, and I just wanted to be able to at least help one person out to to get over this awful addiction that is just an epidemic, especially fentanyl. It’s an epidemic in this country, and it’s killing people and it’s ruining lives, families. I wanted to be able to just help one person.”

The fundraiser is sponsored by Fundaxi, which is headquartered in Rio Rancho. Present the flyer during checkout, and 30% of your bill will go to Desert Mountain.

Fundaxi Restaurant Partners raised $10,000 earlier this month for the family of Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson, who was who was killed in the line of duty July 16.