In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day, Stanly County Project Lazarus is sponsoring two events in August.
The Walk to Remember, hosted in partnership with Will’s Place, will be held August 29 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Stanly YMCA Park, 115 CB Crook Dr., Albemarle.
This will be a time of awareness, remembrance, support and honoring the lives lost in shared grief and hope.
On August 31, Stanly County Project Lazarus will host its third annual International Overdose Awareness Day event from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Central United Methodist Church, 172 N. 2nd St., Albemarle.
The event will include speakers, working groups, and a commemorative presentation. Local prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery resources will provide information to share with the community.
As part of the memorial event, Stanly County Project Lazarus is collecting photos of people who have overdosed for a slideshow that will be shown at the Aug. 31 event. To submit photos, email Corey-Beth Travaglini at [email protected].
International Overdose Awareness Day is observed each year on August 31 and aims to promote better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma surrounding drug-related deaths, and encourage change that reduces the harm associated with drug use.
During the month of August, partner agencies throughout Stanly County will be displaying purple flags and signs reading “Time to Remember, Time to Act” to raise awareness of the 4,339 deaths in North Carolina and the 22 deaths in Stanly County that have been attributed to overdoses in 2022.
Stanly County Project Lazarus is a substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery coalition. This coalition works to develop relationships, practices, and procedures to improve community substance abuse response.
For more information, contact Wendy Growcock, Stanly County Project Lazarus Coordinator, at [email protected] – or visit the Stanly County Project Lazarus Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stanlycountyprojectlazarus/.