MONTICELLO, NY — Time to remember. Time to act.

The fourth annual International Overdose Awareness Day Vigil will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 29 on the lawn of the Sullivan County Courthouse, 414 Broadway.

International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest campaign to end overdose, to remember without stigma those who have died from overdose, and to acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.

According to the New York State Department of Health, Sullivan County holds the highest rate of overdose per capita in New York State. Last year the county was federally designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Being classified as a HIDTA means that Sullivan County is recognized as a critical area for intervention and support, necessitating a coordinated response from local, state and federal agencies to combat drug trafficking and its associated consequences.

“International Overdose Awareness Day both commemorates those who have been lost to the disease of addiction and serves to inspire those who are still struggling to seek recovery,” said Camille O’Brien, coordinator of the county’s drug task force.

Now in its fourth year, the vigil “has become an annual event where our community gathers as a united front to let people know that we are all in this together and there is hope,” she said.

Families will share their stories of loved ones who lost their battle with substance use. It’s a time to remember those who have passed and celebrate those in recovery, organizers said. Attendees can meet representatives of substance abuse and other organizations and learn about resources created to face this crisis head-on. 

A candlelight vigil will be held as the sun sets. 

State and local leaders will discuss efforts to battle the opioid crisis in Sullivan County.

Nesin Cultural Arts and bagpipers will perform against the backdrop of the Sullivan County Courthouse, lit purple to symbolize overdose awareness.

“This evening serves as a platform for so many things. Each loss to overdose was someone’s someone; a brother, a child, a parent, or a best friend,” said Lindsay Wheat, outreach program manager for Sullivan 180. “We always knew this was an important evening, but each year, we realize how necessary it is. The only way to end this is to do it together.”

The International Overdose Awareness Day vigil is presented by a community of organizations working together to end the opioid epidemic in Sullivan County. Learn more at www.sullivan180.org.