Hundreds of people gathered in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday for the third annual Sarasota Fights Fentanyl walk, crossing the Ringling Bridge to remember people who died from overdoses and support those living with addiction.
The free, family-friendly event began with registration at J.D. Hamel Park before walkers set off at 10am on Labor Day. A community resource fair, featuring therapists, counsellors and more than 40 recovery and mental health organisations, followed at the park.
The event was listed by the City of Sarasota as open to all ages. It was organised to honour those lost to fentanyl, offer support to their families and connect people struggling with addiction to practical help.
Sarasota Fights Fentanyl walk brings community together
Yvonne Hawke, operations manager at Hand Up to Victory, said the gathering was intended to ensure people in need could find support before their circumstances became fatal.
“To raise awareness to the lives that are being lost still, that this fight is not over until we all come together and are fighting together to help the people,” she said.
Hawke said the event also gave people a chance to learn about services available locally and share information with those they saw struggling on the streets.
Organiser Toni Lemoeux said the continued support for the walk showed the strength of the local response to the fentanyl crisis.
“The fact that they’re showing up year after year, and they’re calling and asking to be here, says a lot,” Lemoeux said. “It speaks to what we are doing in the community to start to slow down and hopefully stop this terrible epidemic.”
Fentanyl can be lethal in extremely small quantities and may be impossible to detect when mixed into an illicit drug supply. Organisers used the walk to raise awareness of the risks while directing visitors towards recovery services and mental health support.
Justin White, who said he had been sober for two years, took part in memory of a friend who died shortly after telling him they would live with addiction but not die from it.
“It’s been my mission to walk out recovery in his honour and not end up being a statistic of somebody who dies from this drug,” White said.
Brianna Malaterra, who lost both her parents to addiction, said the gathering helped families recognise that their loved ones were more than statistics and that others had experienced similar loss.
The event has grown since its launch, with local reporting indicating that more than 500 people attended last year and more than 1,000 boxes of naloxone were distributed alongside training. Organisers say they intend to expand the Sarasota Fights Fentanyl walk and resource fair as demand for addiction support continues.
