On Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the Adams County Coalition for Overdose Awareness and Recovery (COAR) will be on Lincoln Square in Gettysburg to honor those lost to overdose. They will be distributing free naloxone with a short training. Naloxone is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It can and will save lives and can be a staple in any home’s first aid kit. COAR will also have “virtual” black balloons that members of the community can fill out a card with their loved one’s names to post on social media or to keep in memorium.
Black Balloon Day, started in Massachusetts in 2016, was the inspiration of family members to honor lost loved ones due to overdose. This event has spread from a local remembrance birthed out of a family’s loss, to a national and now international day, to shine a light on the opioid fight and to remember those who have died, human beings who had families: parents, spouses, children and others who loved them and who they loved.
Adams County residents will be encouraged to release virtual balloons on #BlackBalloonDay. Overdose is a real problem, but by educating ourselves about it and working together, we can reduce overdoses and save lives.
For more information on this event or the Adams County Coalition for Overdose Awareness & Recovery, please call Lyric Gallagher at 717-338-0300.