Families Honor Loved Ones and Confront Stigma at Overdose Awareness Day Event in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Families, advocates, and community leaders came together in Charlotte on Saturday for International Overdose Awareness Day, honoring loved ones lost and raising awareness about addiction through music, personal stories, and a candlelight vigil.
The event, held just outside Uptown, drew hundreds of people and featured food trucks, treatment resources, and live performances from the Organic Soul Band, a group comprised mostly of musicians in recovery.
Music, Recovery, and Remembrance
For band member Jon Robinson, the performance was deeply personal.
“We are only here by God’s grace,” Robinson said, holding back tears. “But more importantly for the millions of addicts who don’t make it.”
The night of music was framed as both an act of grace and grief, reminding attendees of the healing power of community.
Fighting Stigma, Building Hope
Josh Bone, founder of Anchor of Hope Sober Living and one of the event organizers, shared his own journey of recovery after more than a decade battling alcoholism.
“I got sober in April of 2017 after 50 different visits to detoxes, hospitals, jails, and I feel like God was leading me to do something bigger,” Bone said. His nonprofit now operates 24 homes in Charlotte, providing housing for about 160 people in recovery.
Bone emphasized that stigma remains one of the toughest barriers.
“People still say ‘the drug addict, the alcoholic,’ and they think that is somebody that is homeless and living under a bridge, and it’s not,” he said. “It’s your mom, your cousin, your sister, your brother.”
Parents Remember Lives Lost
For some, the event was an opportunity to remember children taken too soon.
Pastor John Whitaker, who lost his 23-year-old son to an overdose two years ago, said the gathering helps bring comfort.
“No parent should ever have to bury a child,” Whitaker said. “It was devastating for my wife and I. But it gives me hope that people are out there to help and bring awareness.”
A Night of Healing and Advocacy
The event closed with a candlelight vigil, a solemn reminder of the lives lost and the importance of prevention and recovery efforts.
“Amazing things can happen when you stay the course,” Robinson told the crowd, leaving a message of resilience for those still fighting.
Do you think North Carolina is providing enough resources to fight the opioid crisis, or should more be done at the local level? Share your views at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
