STORM organizes international Overdose Awareness day in Maple Ridge

The International Overdose Awareness Day will be celebrated at an event organized by a Ridge Meadows overdose community action group.

The group called STORM, i.e., Stop Overdose Ridge Meadows, is organizing an event to mark the International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 27 instead of Aug. 31 when the day is observed globally. According to Kim Dumore, the project coordinator for the event, the day will be observed earlier to give the team working at STORM, an actual day off.

“The opioid crisis has been so taxing for our team of peers but we do want to mark the day, so we are doing it earlier,” she said.

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The free event will be held at the Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge, from 12 to 3 p.m.

The event will see a variety of speakers coming in to raise awareness over the crisis. There will also be an open mic opportunity. The Salvation Army will be providing lunch to anyone who attends the event.

“This is an event of compassion,” said Dumore, explaining that the event, which was in its fourth year, would be a no-judgement zone, and will help raise awareness to the overdoses and the opioid crisis.

“It is not the same every year, in terms of what we do and in terms of scale. Last year, for example was very lowkey but this year, we want to take it further,” she said.

Details on the event can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

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