Grief to Hope

Grief to Hope – Triumph’s 8th Annual International Overdose Awareness Day

Check out the City of Yakima IOAD Proclamation and the letter from Senator Cantwell.

We want to extend a big THANK YOU to the sponsors who helped make our 8th International Overdose Awareness Day a meaningful and healing event. With the generous support of Gesa Credit Union, Wellpoint, and Ziply Fiber, we were able to create a safe space to mourn those we have lost, be inspired by stories of hope, and unite as a community dedicated to ending overdose.

This annual event, which is free to the community, saw nearly 250 attendees on Friday, August 30th at Sarg Hubbard Park. On display was 96 purple pinwheels, representing the 96 lives lost in Yakima County in 2023 to overdose, an increase of 15 deaths from the year prior. The international theme for Overdose Awareness Day this year was #TogetherWeCan. The message was repeated throughout the day: together we can end overdose, together we can recover.

The day featured live music, food trucks, resource booths, music, rock painting, and even a lively potatoes sack race! Speakers ranged from medical professionals to friends, family, and survivors of those who have experienced overdose. A memory wall off to the side of the stage was built by Yakima Recovery Events, and attendees could place up pictures, names, and notes to remember loved ones. Several political figures also attended and spoke, including Richard Evans for Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Chris Corry, and Yakima City Council Deputy Mayor, Matt Brown.

Dr. Gillian Zuckerman and Dr. Raul Garcia shared their personal stories of family members affected by overdose and substance use disorders. Paramedic Scott Zachau, Chief Operations Supervisor with the American Medical Response, answered questions from the audience about what to do if they find someone who they think has overdosed, and shared stories of the challenges first responders face daily regarding overdoses throughout the community.

Cari June and her daughter Brittany shared their heartbreaking story of loss, reminding the audience that “every person is deserving of decency no matter what” and “just because you are in addiction doesn’t mean you can’t have hope.” Lori, one of the event’s committee members, shared her perspective as a mother who has lost a child to overdose and, as a nurse, reminded the audience of the “dangers of overdose after being clean.”

Josh shared that his personal mission is to use grief as a catalyst for recovery. He was inspired to move into his own recovery when he stopped using his brother’s death as “an excuse to get loaded” and instead used it as motivation for change.

Community partners like Nar-Anon tabled at the event to remind attendees that there is help and hope for family members of those affected by substance misuse. Nearly 30 community providers offered a range of resources, including treatment options, support groups, and education.

We are grateful for their participation, which helps bring much-needed attention to the tragedy caused by overdose on local, state, and national levels, and helps to break the stigma attached to substance use disorder. Thank you to this year’s Overdose Awareness Day committee for creating a platform where grief, recovery, and hope could be shared.

We hope even more people will join us next year as we continue to raise awareness and support our community. Together, we can make a difference.