How to resolve AdBlock issue? SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Monday, Aug. 31, the community is invited to join in support and acknowledgment of the grief felt by families and friends who have lost a loved one to an overdose.
The annual event is sponsored by RAIS (Recovery Advocacy in Saratoga), Healing Springs Recovery Community Center and The Prevention Council of Saratoga County. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a free Narcan training, followed by a candlelight vigil, at 7 p.m. at The Spirit of Life fountain in Congress Park.
“International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held each year, when thousands of people worldwide will stand alongside the friends and families of fatal overdose victims to reflect on those who have been lost,” said RAIS President Maureen Provost, in a statement. “The event is organized on the understanding that no one need feel shame or disgrace over a drug overdose. It allows all who have been affected by overdose a chance to publicly mourn and help the wider community understand that no one is immune to the tragedy of overdose.”
At the vigil, family and friends who have lost loved ones to overdose can participate in lighting a candle in remembrance. Participants are encouraged to bring a photo or token of their loved one to place on our memory board. All attendees will have an opportunity, should they chose, to share the name aloud of a loved one they would like to have remembered. At the conclusion of the vigil, there will be resources available on local addiction recovery services.
The vigil will also be streamed on Facebook on the Healing Springs Recovery Center page at www.facebook.com/HealingSpringsRCOC, for those who cannot attend in person.
