Activities 2018

Information tables, public speaking of MP’s and MLA’s, luncheon.

BBQ and Naloxone trainning

BC Place will light the stadium’s roof lights purple for International Overdose Awareness Day

50% of any beverage or food item proceeds sold from our coffee bar will be donated to this cause.

Setting up a table to bring break stigma around drug use and bring awareness to the overdose crisis in our area.

This event is an opportunity for the Sunshine Coast to join thousands of people and multiple communities in honouring the monumental loss of life that has resulted from a preventable health emergency.
We will say a few words, acknowledge those we have lost. Hold silence and light candles~ in memory and with respect and love. We can offer support to each other and to our community.
Anyone is welcome to participate… music, prayer or anything you are called to share.
If you have photos of someone you have lost you are welcome to bring it along.

This is a memorial event, but also a call to action. Gathering sends a message that we see this crisis continuing and that we demand action.

**There will be free naloxone training and kits provided before this event. If you need training and/or a kit please come by early. We will be present from 5:00 on.**

On Friday, August 31 – International Overdose Awareness Day – you are invited to the Addiction Recovery Community Health (ARCH) team’s table in the Royal Alexandra Hospital atrium between 1130 and 1330! There will be plenty to learn and do including overdose recognition and response, Take Home Naloxone kit education, practicing rescue breathing on a mannequin, and playing the “Doctors Against Tragedies” card game. We will also be providing overdose awareness pins and cake. We hope to see you there!

– Guest speakers
– Naloxone kits & training
– Memorial Banner
– Free BBQ

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. We will be having a candlelight vigil to remember our loved ones who have succumbed to an ever growing opioid overdose crisis, and to bring awareness to those who have not.
Please join us at 7pm South Meridian Park on the corner of 163rd Street and 12th Avenue. Bring a candle. Anyone is welcome.

In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Grey Bruce Health Unit joins with Safe ‘n Sound to host a Community BBQ on Friday, August 31, from 12noon – 2pm at Safe ‘n Sound, 310 8th Street East, Owen Sound.

This event will bring the community together to remember the loved ones we have lost and acknowledge the grief felt by friends, family and the community as a whole. The aim is to raise awareness and spread the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable. Prevention, education and recognition of an overdose all play an important role in saving lives.

Nurses from the Grey Bruce Health Unit will be available at the BBQ to deliver Overdose Awareness Education and dispense the lifesaving medication Naloxone. Naloxone can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone is available free of charge to family, friends and people at risk for overdose.

“We know that only 7% of Canadians report knowing how to obtain and administer Naloxone. We are working to increase this knowledge,” says Laurie Moore, a Registered Practical Nurse with the Harm Reduction Program.

Naloxone is available at the Grey Bruce Health Unit as well as select local pharmacies and community partners. Visit Ontario.ca/overdose to find out more.

The CYMSHU will set up an information/education/advocacy booth at the local Farmer’s Market. At the booth with be: a public health nurse, community paramedic, a registered nurse, physician, community member volunteers, advocate who works in film and education, and anyone else who wished to come and be a resource. We will be doing Naloxone kit training, handing out educational resources and information (some from the Overdoseday.com website, some from Interior Health, and some created by the CYMHSU with local contact numbers and websites for support).
We will also have a space to light candles and write notes to honour those lives that have been lost or affected in some other way by overdose.

Meet at 4pm HIV North office to create you Somebody’s Someone sign for your loved one.
430pm leave for the Awareness March through downtown Grande Prairie, ending in Muskoseepi Park at the Amphitheater (pavilion if bad weather).
530pm free BBQ
6pm Program and presentations.
Community coming together to better understand the impact of the opioid epidemic and its impact, reduce stigma – Everyone is Somebody’s Someone. What resources we have in our community, updates on community initiatives to create better supports and remove stigma because Everyone is Somebody’s Someone!

This year we are gathering on Gottingen Street in front of the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Center at 11:00am and leaving to walk to City Hall at 11:30am. In peaceful protest we will hold signs to raise awareness as we walk to symbolize our impatience in waiting for changes in Canadian Drug Policy.
At 11:45 we will have 3 moments of silence.
One moment will be for those who have died unnecessarily from a drug overdose, the second moment is for their family and loved ones, the final moment of silence is to appeal for evidence based interventions, services and supports to mitigate the risks for people who use drugs.
We invite everyone to join us at Mainline Needle Exchange after for a free barbecue of hot dogs and cold beverages.
Naloxone training and kit available before and after the protest.

Gathering in the Park
We have guest speakers from all different areas speaking to bring awareness

Clean up of park and temperance ceremony where we will send bibles up into the sky with our thoughts and love we will share stories of those we lost.

Open Art Group- Mondays in August
1-3pm
All Materials Provided
Drawing, Painting, Wood Carving, Wood Burning, Clay Sculpting, Collage

Ignite is the Calgary John Howard Society (CJHS)’s new public awareness project that will showcase art representing individuals’ experiences with substance use and the stigma associated with it.

Funded by Alberta Health, Ignite will run from May to December 2018 and will use creativity as a therapeutic outlet for those who have experienced the crisis, and a learning tool for the public through art exhibits in Calgary.

CJHS will provide all materials needed at no charge, and will display the art projects throughout Calgary with the opportunity for artists to sell their work, retaining 100% of the profit.

First Voice Presentation, Community Resources, Overdose Prevention Kit and Display

Guest speakers, education, presentations, sharing knowledge

Join AAWEAR, MomsStopTheHarm & Streetworks Edmonton as we remember our loved ones with memorial walls, and offer training on how to respond to a suspected overdose. We will be providing NALOXONE kits, memorial ribbons and info on opiod-replacement options.

Find us at Boyle Street Community Services, + locations downtown and on Whyte Ave, from 10:30 AM-2:30 PM.

The South Island Community Overdose Response Network invites you to join us for an event which remembers all those loved ones lost to an overdose. This is also a day to educate our community and increase public awareness. We will be offering free public naloxone training between 4-6 pm. A Call To Action Rally will take place between 6-7 pm and the event will end with a Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance starting at 7 pm. Resource and Information booths will be on display along with a Memorial Activity which families can participate in and remember their loved one.

We hope that you will join us for a Day of Remembrance and a Day of Action.

Public gathering to promote awareness, provide education, and remember those we have lost to overdose.

We will start with a few speeches, in regards to OVERDOSE & Overdose prevention.
-a moment of silence
-memorial flag signing for those we hv lost (the flags will be brought out every OAD)
-Naloxone training & dispensing
-Community health van along with Community partners
-pizza, refreshments

A booth will be set-up in our main lobby highlighting Overdose Awareness Day and will include information about overdose. There will also be information about local treatment & support groups.

– Pharmacists will be training anyone interested in a Naloxone Kit for NO Charge to the participant

Come join us for our first ever harm reduction party at The Warehouse for International Overdose Awareness Day. Learn how to party safe, what to do if your friend ODs, and just have fun and dance! Got health questions? STI questions? A nurse will be on site to give ya answers!
If you’re going to use drugs, we want you to know how to use them safely. Make informed choices about sex and substance use.

We may even have party toys to give away!

Featuring the raddest of DJs – DJ Jaimie G and S1NC3R3.

We practice, you can too!

You are invited to participate in the Fraser Health Overdose Response Practice Drill during the week of Aug. 27 – 31, 2018, in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st.

Overdose deaths can be prevented with early intervention. Recognizing the signs of overdose and acting quickly and calmly to help reverse it using naloxone, can and does save lives. Even if you’ve had naloxone training, it is important to refresh your skills on a regular basis through practice and online training. Just like earthquake and fire drills, regularly considering and practicing what you would do if faced with someone who is overdosing is vital to maintain knowledge and preparedness.

We will be live-broadcasting one of our teams completing an overdose response drill on Facebook on Monday August 27 at 1:00 PM. Tune in as we practice our own overdose response to make sure our skills are sharp and ready when we need them. We invite you to participate by asking questions during the Facebook Live event and to host your own drill during the week of August 27-31. We have developed an overdose response drill toolkit to support you.

For the toolkit and more information about this event including how to participate, go to:

https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/mental-health-and-substance-use/substance-use-addictions/overdose-prevention-and-response/overdose-response-practice-drill-toolkit

By participating in this exercise, you will be joining people across Fraser Health in recognizing the impact of overdoses on individuals, including friends and family. By taking action to prevent future overdose deaths we honour their memories.

We will be remembering those that we have lost to overdose and raising awareness. Naloxone training will be available. The event will take place in the Cultural Space at our 1st Ave location. Refreshments will be provided. This event is open to everyone 16 years of age and older.

We would like to invite everyone in Kamloops, BC to participate in International Overdose Awareness Day by tying a purple ribbon to a tree, your front door, a lamp post or on your car in memory of all those that we have lost and for all those that are striving for recovery. Post a picture using the hashtag #PurpleRibbon. Let’s “paint the town purple”.

A Full Week of Programming:
Monday – Harm Reduction Education & Awareness
Tuesday- Art, Knowledge & Culture in the Face of Addiction
Wednesday – Pop Up Outside of Community Bridge
Thursday – Naloxone Trainings, Candlelight Walk & Vigil
Friday – Community BBQ & Healthy FSJ Pop Up

Private Event

In partnership with the Public Health Nurse, we will host an Overdose Information session followed by Naloxone training.

Host the media to a healthy discussion on the increasing number of fatalities, impact on families and the support that exists. Expert speakers to discuss community support and how everyone can be a part of the solutions to help our addiction community.

In conjunction with Greenwood Coalition and the HKPR Health Unit, we will be holding a memorial event and decorating flags in memory of friends, family members, neighbors, or anyone who has been lost due to an overdose. We welcome anyone who wishes to support and bring awareness to overdoses and overdose prevention, to connect with others in the community who have experiences with overdoses and/or loss,and most importantly to remember those lost. All are welcome to join in decorating a flag, as well as sharing their experience, if comfortable. We will also be having free naloxone training and kits available for those eligible.
The following day, we will hold a memorial service, implanting the flags at Greenwood Coalition’s Community Garden in Port Hope from 11AM – 1PM.

The route: We will gather at the Winnipeg sign and make our way to, and over across The Provencher Bridge. We will cross the street at Tache and walk to Goulet. We will walk past Dominion Centre over the Queen Elizabeth Way Bridge. When we come to the first entrance to The Forks we will walk around on the sidewalk past Beachcombers, and down to the River Walk. We will continue up the river walk until we get to the round ampatheatre stage and make our way back up the walk way to the courtyard seen at the bottom off the bridge where we began.

I will have 150 water bottles with purple ribbons to wear along with 150 purple glow stick necklaces to give out. Sensational Sound will be there playing music while people are signing in.

Resiliency 4 Recovery (R4R) cannot remain silent when our family members, friends and neighbours are dying from fatal overdose in Halton region. R4R is a grassroots youth directed group (for 16-29 year olds) recovering from mental health and/or substance use challenges. We believe that recovery requires community involvement.

In response to this devastating crisis, Resiliency 4 Recovery invites you to attend The 5th Annual International Overdose Awareness Day of Halton on August 31, 2018 at 7pm at Maple Grove United Church (346 Maple Grove Drive, Oakville). Our goals for this event are to provide a safe place to publicly acknowledge the lives lost in our community to fatal overdose while supporting healing, to provide overdose prevention information and to advocate for change to prevent further lives from being lost. Please join us for a meaningful evening of remembrance, advocacy and prevention through guest speakers, music and a candlelight vigil. There is no cost for this community event.

Please note due to limited parking at the church, we ask that you park at Oakville Trafalgar Secondary School (1460 Devon Road, Oakville) which connects to the church property.

SOUTH PLAZA,ROBSON ST

7:00 pm
Gathering for opening Vigil Ceremony.

7:15
Waiting for confirmation of added part
to this evening before Candle Lighting.
Candle Lighting.Moment of Silence.

7:30 pm
Guest Speakers from the Vancouver Area
To be Announced upon all Confirmations.

8:15pm
Closing words and opportunity to meet
with other attendees,gather information,
exchange information,support groups,
networking,gather any helpful hand outs.

More information will be updated as the
date draws closer.Please feel free to write
with any inquiries a the IOAD Vancouver
Facebook Page.Contact name : Tabitha

https://www.facebook.com/IOADVancouverBCCanada/

This is an International Overdose Awareness Day
Vigil & Rally in memory of those who have died from
drug overdose.Paying respect to surviving loved ones
and all levels of front line workers who work daily to
help reduce harm and loss caused by drug overdose.

The Opioid Crisis touches all walks of life and cultures.
All communities,ages,religions,genders and corners of
the City of Vancouver,Province of British Columbia,Country
of Canada and Continent of North America – and beyond.

This is also a public drug health rally to better improve
up to date OD prevention,harm reduction and various
outlets for intervention,support and treatment/recovery.

Turning stigma upside down to shed light and reality
of Substance Use Disorders being health issues and
not criminal or moral issues.

Standing up for the human rights to dignified understanding
and treatments of those who are at risk with drug use,actively addicted,suffering or who have passed away.

As well as sharing stories and awareness of many ways
people can and DO overcome drug use issues to live safe
and well again however has effectively worked for them.

There are many opinions,beliefs,personal experiences
and Scientific research that falls under this urgent health
crisis.Being able to learn from all sides can move society
forward to greater options for those to utilize with out the
shame or fear.With respect,we combine all of the above
to work together for a safer and health society and world.

Everyone is welcomed.

This is in solidarity with other events being held in and
around Vancouver,Lower Mainland,BC,Canada and the
rest of the world who observe and or are involved with
various types of International Overdose Awareness Day
Events.If you would like more information on the history
and ways you can get involved,free resources you can
access and share,please visit the official IOAD Website.

Community Speakers and Community Service Providers Expo. Free admission.

FLAGS OF HOPE
11am gather outside of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Trinity Square, west side of Toronto Eaton Centre.
We will have a procession of our Flags of Hope to Nathan Phillips Square for a Remembrance Vigil at noon

We will display the Flags made at our Flags of Hope Workshop on August 30th
https://www.facebook.com/events/1042679949240085/

Hosted by Moms Stop The Harm, HIV North Society Grande Prairie and Grande Prairie Crime Prevention. International Overdose Awareness Day will take place starting at 4 pm with an Awareness March from the HIV North office, 9607 102 Street, to Muskoseepi Park. There will be a free barbecue starting at 5:30 and at 6 pm the program with presentations will commence in the amphitheater. Should the weather turn bad the event will move into the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion, but it will still be a go. This event is completely free and everyone is encouraged to come out, share with your contacts and encourage all community members to attend.

The Board of Directors of the Chatham-Kent Drug Awareness Council would like to invite you to attend a memorial event on Friday, August 31st, in memory of those who have lost their lives due to an overdose, in support of the countless families in mourning across Canada and around the world, and in solidarity and strength for those living with and recovering from an addiction. This memorial event will be held from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at Studio One in the Chatham Cultural Centre. There will be light refreshments and fellowship to follow the memorial.

Also on Friday, August 31st at Studio One, the Chatham-Kent Public Health Uit will be offering Overdose Response Training with two FREE walk-in NARCAN training sessions at 1:00pm and 2:00pm. All participants will receive a free NARCAN Kit as part of their training. No ID, health card or appointment is required, just show up! Light refreshments will also be available.

The open house event will begin at 10 am and run until 3 pm. We will be honouring those who have lost their lives to overdose with a memorial tree. Attendees can write the name of someone they have lost on a leaf and place it on the tree. We will have special guests Mari-Lee Paluszak, Ken Jefferson and Holly Meints in attendance, who will be available to talk about their personal experiences relating to drug overdose. We are pleased to announce that Fort McMurray Mayor Don Scott will also be in attendance and will be speaking at 12 noon. There will be emotional support throughout the day for anyone who requires it. We will provide free harm reduction resources, including naloxone training and kits. We will have some light refreshments and snacks. Please join us at the Redpoll Centre Conference Room in memory of those we have lost, in support of those struggling with addiction or loss, and in celebration of those in recovery. Be sure to speak with our staff to find out what you can do to help prevent future overdose deaths.

AVI is hosting an educational booth at the local evening market, from 4-9, that will provide Naloxone training as well as Naloxone kits. We will have information about harm reduction, safer using practices, and what to do in the event of an overdose. We also have a petition available for people to sign that is aiming for the decriminalization of all drugs.

AIDS Vancouver Island is getting together with a few other local service providers to educate the public and those who use substances, or are affected by substance use, about safer using practices, local resources and overdose prevention. There will also be Naloxone training and a petition aiming for the decriminalization of all drugs. This event is in the Campbell River Spirit Square from 12-2pm, Friday, August 31.

Join us at City Hall from 10:30am-12:30pm for International Overdose Awareness Day.
Event will include an acknowledgment of the scope of overdose in Canada, Ontario, and in Thunder Bay. There will be a station to commemorate individuals who have been impacted by overdose in our community – hearts and doves with messages to loved ones will be tied to the Overdose Awareness Tree after the event is over. There will be overdose prevention education, free naloxone kits, and some community resource booths.

Event will include a time to remember individuals and share stories, as well as overdose prevention education and naloxone training

Educational event and memorial for people we have lost in Quesnel to overdose

– Information on overdose prevention and community resources
-Naloxone training and distribution
– Speakers

Join us for the 2nd Annual International Overdose Awareness Day at North Bay City Hall on August 31 1:00 to 3:30pm.
Unveiling a garden of remembrance, Naloxone training, story sharing, swag, and snacks
.
Sponsored by Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing, AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area and North Bay and Parry Sound District Health Unit as a community initiative by the Harm Reduction Pillar of the Community Drug Strategy

Please join us at City Hall to remember those we have lost, and to listen to those who understand substance use and the action we need to take to end the opioid crisis.

We are stronger together and together we can save lives.

#supportdontpunish
#lifewontwait
#seeme

In order to honor those affected by overdose, as well as to raise awareness, the HepCare and HARP programs will be providing a FREE barbecue at the Neighborhood Resource Center. There will also be a couple of surprise activities that will be announced closer to the date.

Overdose can affect anyone, and it has affected many people in our own community. We want to open the door for discussion about what an overdose looks like and what to do if you or a loved one is experiencing one.

This event will shed light on how overdose affects every single one of us and how each community member can make a difference in the effort to prevent overdose. Naloxone Kits will be available, and Public Health Nurses along with a Mental Health-Substance Use Clinician will be available to provide harm reduction information, resources, and training on the use of Naloxone.

The free community event is to:
-Pay tribute to those who have been affected by overdose
-Raise awareness of resources in the community
-Reduce the stigma of drug-related death
-Help prevent death from overdose

Free food, drink and overdose response training (including free Naloxone kits)

Please join us in making memory flags in honour of our loved ones.

We aim to create 303 flags in honour of the 303 lives lost to overdose in Toronto in 2017.
On International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31st), we will display these flags in Nathan Phillips Square in a ceremony of remembrance.

By creating these flags across Canada, we are sending Love and Light to those who have passed due to substance use disorders, and to those who are still struggling. We want to raise awareness of how many of our loved one the overdose crisis is taking, and to strengthen the hope that there will be an end.

This project draws from the Tibetan tradition of making prayer flags, which are used to create harmony with all of the elements, as well as harmony within our physical selves and our environment.

All supplies provided, no cost

Thursday, August 30th, 10am to 1pm

Those who cannot attend in person should email their loved one’s name to flagsofhopetoronto@gmail.com so that we can create a flag in their honour on your behalf.

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death.

Join the Downtown Mission for our memorial BBQ on Friday, August 31st from 10:30am-2:00pm to acknowledge this special day. The BBQ will be held at 664 Victoria Avenue in Windsor, ON. Chat with our staff, have a bite to eat and help remember those who have lost their lives, and support those still living with an addiction.

We encourage ALL community members to attend this free event.

Overview of event:
10:30am-2:00pm: Information and Resource Tables
10:30am-2:00pm: Free Naloxone Training
11:30am-1:00pm: Lunch service
1:00-2:00pm: Memorial

Please join us 08.31.18 for Shatter the Stigma YYC – A Comedy event that will feature participants with lived experience (PWLE) in mental health and substance/opioid use and those who support them!

Graducate from throughout Alberta have completed a comedy writing workshop called “Healing Through Humour” and will perform stand-up comedy along with a mix of up and coming and professional headliners including Damien MacLaren, Tammy Mac, Dale Ward, Stu Hughs and Kelly Taylor.

The intent of the evening is to reduce stigma for PWLE, increase access to harm reduction and provide some much-needed comedic relief to those involved in fighting the Opioid crisis.

Harm Reduction Training/Education to be offered.

Early Bird General Admission tickets are only $35 & Early Bird VIP tickets are $70.
A great way to treat your staff to a night out! Group discounts available.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2047088382208199/
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/shatter-the-stigma-yyc-comedy-event-proceeds-to-aawears-peer-outreach-teams-tickets-41876714380

Proceeds will go to AAWEAR’s Provincial Peer Outreach Harm Reduction Teams.

We are also eagerly seeking: Corporate Sponsorship, Raffle/Silent Auction Items and
Swag bag (up to 150 general admission + 100 VIP guests).

We are a registered Society/non-profit in the Province of Alberta. As we are not yet a charity, we are unable to offer tax receipts but we can acknowledge any donations on printed materials, websites and on social media platforms.

We will be having a peaceful March at 6:00pm from our City Hall to our Beach location where Naloxone training will already be started..training will start also at 6:00pm for anyone not wanting to join in the March..Speakers and Memorial starting at 6:30pm

– Live music
– candle light vigil for those who have been affected by overdose
– harm reduction information
– Naloxone kits
– guest speakers
– open Mic for those wanting to speak

The AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton is looking to draw attention to the excessive amounts of deaths due to overdose here in Cape Breton.

We invite you to join us and support Overdose Awareness Day on Thursday, August 30, 2018 at the Edelbrock Centre, Orangeville.

The event aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.

We encourage ALL community member to attend to learn about things you can do to recognize signs of addiction and to help spread the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable. Wear Silver to show your support.

In Kitchener, Ontario, we will be celebrating on August 27th from 4 pm to 6 pm. This event aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.

Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable. Always remember to call 911, as an overdose is a medical emergency.

Highlights of the Event:

Meet members of the local Bereaved Families of Ontario support group called Living with Loss: Adults grieving the loss of a loved one due to substance overdose/misuse

Decorate a stone and add it to the river rock journey wall to remember someone special

Receive Naloxone training and get a free kit

Talk to staff from different local organizations who will be on hand to provide support and information for individuals seeking help, including family members and concerned friends

Pizza and water provided free of charge!

In Cambridge, Ontario, we will be celebrating on August 20th from 4 pm to 6 pm. This event aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.

Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable. Always remember to call 911, as an overdose is a medical emergency.

Highlights of the Event:

Meet members of the local Bereaved Families of Ontario support group called Living with Loss: Adults grieving the loss of a loved one due to substance overdose/misuse

Decorate a stone and add it to the river rock journey wall to remember someone special

Receive Naloxone training and get a free kit

Talk to staff from different local organizations who will be on hand to provide support and information for individuals seeking help, including family members and concerned friends

Pizza and water provided free of charge!

Public launch of a book that showcases stories and ideas from people who use drugs about how we can better prevent overdose and support people who use drugs aimed at health and social service providers. Presentation of the book and discussion around how we can better support people who use drugs in our community and fight stigma around drug use.

This event aims to gather members of the community to memorialize those they have lost to overdoses. It will also provide education on depressant and stimulant overdoses, the available social services in the region, as well as Naloxone training for eligible attendees.

This is a free, all ages event. There will be a few guest speakers. Snacks and refreshments provided. This space is wheelchair accessible, and gendered washrooms in City Hall will be open for attendees.

Community BBQ on Monday August 27th to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost to overdose and create awareness to eliminate stigma and spread the message that overdose is preventable! The event will include guest speakers, information tables and naloxone training on site.

Please visit our Facebook event page for more information.

This will be a peaceful evening Vigil and Rally to remember those lost to overdose and share progressive overdose education with the public.The Opioid Crisis across N.America has to stop! Let’s keep educated how we can prevent overdose, warning signs of drug misuse,addiction,intervention, safe treatments,long term rehabilitation,recovery and long term recovery.This is a health issue,NOT moral!

Rallying together can encourage people to feel less isolated when facing personal challenges – and or loss. Stigma cannot hold back progress when we come together and show there is no shame in a human beings struggles with issues related to Substance Use Disorders,Recreational and or Mental Health issues.

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day.
As you know overdose is an issue near and dear to my heart. Please come out and help raise awareness as well as raise some money for the Turning Point Society of Central Alberta in Red Deer.

May 9th the event will be open for registration and the registration link will be posted on the Facebook event page. You must register to participate.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leahs-light-5km-walkrun-for-overdose-awareness-registration-44810007940

A time to remember the ones we have lost….A time to be thankful for the folks we still have…

We have over 20 Speakers for our International Overdose Awareness Day

Time to Remember, Time To Act

We will be marking International Overdose Awareness on Friday, August 24th and invite you to join us.

Overdose Awareness Day has been a key remembrance event for those who have died from fatal drug overdoses since 2001. Thousands of people worldwide will stand alongside the friends and families of fatal overdose victims to reflect on those who have been lost. We will be remembering those lost on August 24th, promoting overdose awareness to our community. The event is organised on the understanding that no-one need feel shame or disgrace over a drug overdose.

Overdose Awareness Day offers all who have been affected by overdose a chance to publicly mourn and help the wider community understand mental illness, prescription overdose, unintentional overdose and how fatal overdose profoundly affects mainstream society.

The day also serves as a warning that not only illicit drugs can be dangerous and no-one is immune to overdose.

With the number of fatalities from prescription drugs growing it is also a chance to see that medicines are not always our friends. Painkillers and other pharmacy drugs play an important medical role but their careless use can have tragic long-term consequences.

Participation in International Overdose Awareness Day is free. We will be honoring those we lost and share information on the overdose epidemic in our community. Anyone wishing to be involved may do so.