The Clay County Anti-Drug Coalition hosting a memorial and movie night event to spread awareness of overdoses.
Prevention Coordinator Kody Thompson said overdose awareness is near and dear to the Coalition’s hearts. Thompson said the theme of this year’s event will be “here as one big family driven by hope,” so it was important to create space to remember those lost to substance abuse.
“I also wanted to bring in the other side of that and create a place for those in recovery to come, bring their families, and mesh the two groups together,” Thompson said.
Thompson said a movie night felt like a perfect opportunity to unite community members and spread awareness because it is a good family activity. The memorial portion of the event begins at 6pm, and the movie “Inside Out” will begin around 7:30 at the Clay County Fairgrounds Saturday night.
Thompson said overdose is a large problem, but she is hopeful community efforts for awareness will drive the number of overdoses down. She said events like this are important because they shed light on the problem.
Thompson said in the time she has been with the coalition, the efforts to push awareness have been a priority. She said things like videos and recovery events have resonated with the community.
“I think there’s something to be said about being loud and proud of just being in recovery,” Thompson said. “And also having that safe space for those that have lost someone to substance abuse and addiction.”
Thompson said there are solutions available for those dealing with substance abuse.
“We can connect them with resources,” Thompson said. “We have naloxone 24/7 here through our caring library in front of the office. And we also have several people who can help loved ones walk through that journey so they’re not alone.”
Thompson said t-shirts, naloxone, and memorial flowers will be available at the event, and she hopes the entire community can come out for the memorial and movie.
