Haymarket Center celebrates 50th anniversary treating addiction

The Haymarket Center is celebrating 50 years in the fight against addiction.

The Chicago-based nonprofit held its annual gala Friday night with CBS News Chicago's own Irika Sargent as the emcee.

Haymarket is Chicago's largest treatment center for people struggling with substance abuse and mental health needs.

The gala's special guest, actor Christian Slater, shared the story of his own road to sobriety and why he believes Haymarket's work is so important.

"That's what's great about organizations like Haymarket. They do reach out, and they do help people, and they help the whole family. It's not just the person that's suffering from drugs and alcohol. They bring everybody in, and it's really everybody that does need the recovery," he said.

The center serves about 12,000 patients every year.