EVERETT—People throughout Snohomish County are invited to a night of remembrance, resources, and hope on Thursday, August 29. The eighth annual Snohomish County overdose awareness event, “A Night To Remember, A Time To Act,” will take place at the Snohomish County Plaza, 3000 Rockefeller in Everett. A resource fair will begin at 5 p.m., with the candlelight vigil and program starting at 6:15 p.m.
The event brings members of the community together around International Overdose Awareness Day each summer. It’s a time to honor the lives lost to overdose, advocate for change, defeat stigmas surrounding addiction, and offer hope and support to the community and those who are struggling.
The vigil was started eight years ago by Cathi Lee and Debbie Warfield. They organize the event in memory of their sons. They want to help offer the support and information they felt wasn’t available during their struggles and to initiate a call to action.
”It has been 12 years since our son, Spencer, died from an overdose. In that time, I realized there is no one solution for people suffering from addiction,” Warfield said. “That’s why our event this year will focus on medication assisted treatment. We need to get past the stigma of this is only trading one drug for another. I hope the community will join us to learn about these treatments and hear from facilitators and clients with lived experience.”
“Before my son, Corey, died from an overdose nearly nine years ago, I believed that addiction was a moral, ethical, and mental issue that could be ‘fixed’ with counseling, abstinence, and prevention,” Lee said. “In the last eight years co-hosting this vigil, I have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment and the stigma, myths, and often ignorance surrounding programs like drug court, methadone clinics, and medication assisted treatment programs prevent families and the public from seeking the help they need.”
The event is coordinated in partnership with local nonprofit Hope Soldiers and Snohomish County. The resource fair will include a variety of service providers with information and overdose prevention supplies such as naloxone to help individuals and families. Immediate transportation to detox will be available from the event, courtesy of Courage to Change.
The program will include Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Judge Karen Moore with the adult recovery court, and providers and patients from Therapeutic Health Solutions (methadone clinic) and Ideal Option (medication assisted treatment). The format of the program is changing from past years. Rather than consecutive speakers at a podium, this year’s event will feature a question-and-answer format with opportunities for the audience to participate by asking questions, as well.
Lindsey Arrington with Hope Soldiers said that, while she is a huge fan of adult recovery court, there are people who have the wrong impression of the program. She also said her perspective on medication assisted treatment (MAT) has changed.
“We’re looking forward to having guests that will speak about life-saving programs that have stigmas that we want to help dispel,” Arrington said. “The drug crisis has evolved, so we now need to have a ‘whatever it takes’ approach. MAT is not for everyone, and when utilized absolutely must be coupled with transformative inner work, but we can’t continue to shame those who are alive because of it.”
Guests are encouraged to bring a photo of a loved one they would like to remember during the candlelight vigil.
”Overdoses have taken a terrible toll, and I believe it’s important to have these chances for people to come together and share memories, grief, and also hope,” Executive Somers said. “I’ll be remembering and honoring Alan, my kid brother, who was taken too soon by a fentanyl overdose. I hope others will join us as we remember our loved ones and as we look to the future and how we can help save lives during this crisis.”
The event will be livestreamed via the Hope Soldiers Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person.
More resources and information about substance use disorder are available at www.snohomishoverdoseprevention.com. The Washington Recovery Help Line also offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day at 1-866-789-1511. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, please reach out for help.
Source: Snohomish Overdose Prevention
