Shaw Media • Thursday-Friday, August 26-27, 2021
| OPIOID & MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
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Ecker Center hosts annual Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event
E
cker Center for Behavioral Health will present their Annual Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event at the Center’s Renz Office – Serenity Pond, Two American Way, Elgin, on Tuesday, August 31st beginning at 7:00 PM. Fatal drug overdoses have increased for the 11th consecutive year, rising nearly 30% during the pandemic. There were a record 93,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 alone. In association with International Overdose Awareness Day, Ecker Center for Behavioral Health is hosting a memorial event to remember those who have died due to drug overdose. Together, attendees will stand in solidarity to shed light on the overdose crisis, remember the lives lost to overdose, and support those bearing the burden of grief. All are welcome to attend the free event. Personalized memorial signs are being created to honor loved ones and will be displayed along Ecker’s Serenity Path for viewing throughout the event. In addition, an overdose tribute video will be posted on Ecker’s website for those unable to attend the event in-person. If you would like your loved one to be included in the memorial display, please send their name and photo to Jennifer at jflory@eckercenter.org by August 29, 2021. The memorial will include speakers representing
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people who have experienced the loss of a loved one to an overdose, as well as overdose survivors who are using their experience to help others. The names of loved ones will be read aloud, followed by a candlelight vigil and an invitation to walk around the Serenity Path to view the memorial signs. Overdose reversal training and free Narcan kits will be available for those interested. “The ripple effect that individuals and families experience as a result of a death due to an overdose is devastating,” CEO Daphne Sandouka said. “Oftentimes, families who have lost a loved one face social and moral stigmas in addition to feelings of anger, helplessness, guilt, and shame. Moreover, individuals struggling with substance use disorder may avoid seeking help because of the stigma and shame. The Ecker Center is committed to prevention, education, and intervention with no judgment.” For more information about Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, please visit our website at www.eckercenter.org.
