And the Balloons Went Up

"Wherever I looked, there we were," wrote Richard from Colorado, and Geff from Ohio marveled: "So many once-broken people all patched up by AA, and having a good time together." Those reflections were typical among the throngs of sober alcoholics who attended AA's birthday bash in San Diego, California, the weekend of June 29 to July 3, 1995. It was the largest AA Anniversary Convention ever held (more than 56,000 people registered), and the largest convention of any kind that San Diego had ever hosted.