• By Todd Luck
• Posted Friday, August 30, 2019

Vigil for overdose victims will be held August 31

A vigil for overdose victims will be held on Saturday, August 31, at 3 p.m. on the patio of Mary’s Gourmet Diner, 723 N Trade St NW.

The Vigil of Remembrance for Victims of Overdose is part of National Overdose Awareness Day. The vigil will be a brief service of remembrance for the family and friends of overdose victims. Participants are invited to bring pictures and memories of their lost loved ones for a time of sharing.

Also on August 31, Twin City Harm Reduction Collective (TCHRC) will hold an Overdose Awareness concert beginning at 5 p.m. at the Gas Hill (upper room of the Ramkat, 170 W. 9th St) featuring Sarah Howell-Miller, Aquatic Ceremony and Mortimer. The concert is free, but there is a $5 suggested donation to support the work of TCHRC.

This vigil is sponsored by OFF (Opioids. Faith. Forsyth.), a Faith community subcommittee of the Forsyth Opioid Task Force that plans ways the faith community can respond to the opioid crisis. The public is invited to attend OFF meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Green Street UMC.

TCHRC operates a syringe exchange out of Green Street UMC, 639 S. Green St. It operates on Mondays from 3-6 p.m., Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., and Saturdays from 1:15-3:00 p.m. TCHRC distributes sterile syringes to prevent the spread of disease and Naloxone, a drug used in reversal of overdoses. TCHRC is a valuable partner in the Forsyth Opioid Task Force’s effort to save lives in the opioid crisis.