OCEAN CITY – Family and friends of those impacted by the opioid epidemic made their way to the beaches of Ocean City last week to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day.
Last Thursday, the Worcester County Warriors Against Opiate Addiction hosted a ceremony to honor those, both living and deceased, who have suffered addiction and overdose.
The event was in conjunction with the international recognition of Overdose Awareness Day, which brought people around the globe to parks, beaches and public buildings to break the stigma of opioid addiction.
In Ocean City, the Warriors shed light on the topic by reading out loud the names of 43 local individuals who are addicted to opiates or who have passed away from an opioid addiction.
Since last year’s event, the list has doubled.
Warriors Co-Founder Jackie Ball expressed her frustration.
“It’s really a bit overwhelming that there are so many names on this list,” she said.
Co-Founder Heidi McNeeley said the goal of the evening was to offer support and awareness.
“One of the most important things we continue to do is to erase the stigma and help people to not suffer in silence,” she said.
Ocean City resident Christina Graves said she attended the event to honor her son, Will, who died on March 19 from a fentanyl overdose.
“He was currently working,” she said. “He was not using heroin, but was doing prescription pills and it was laced with a manufactured fentanyl.”
Since his death, Graves has organized the W.H.B. Foundation for Opioid Recovery, an organization that raises money and awareness and offers transportation vouchers to those that attend meetings.
Graves said she hopes the event will attract the attention of a younger generation.
“I go to a lot of different events in different areas and I like to see the younger generations come to hear what we have to say … to give them support,” she said.
Graves applauded the Warriors for bringing the issue to light.
“I think any time you put it in front of people’s faces they have to heed the warning,” she said.
For McNeeley and her husband, who lost a step-son from a previous marriage to an overdose this year, the event serves as an important reminder.
“It’s really important that we continue to meet like this, that we continue to fight this epidemic and that we recognize that we are all in this together,” she said. “That is why we are here, because we don’t want anyone to feel alone, ever.”
