SAFE to Commemorates Overdose Awareness Day with Community Vigil in Franklin
Family members remember lost loved ones at last year’s vigil. Photo used courtesy of the SAFE Coalition.
WHAT: Public vigil
DATE: Sunday, August 31st
TIME: 5-6 p.m.
PLACE: Franklin Town Common
Franklin, Mass.—International Overdose Awareness Day ( www.overdoseday.com) will be marked this year in Franklin with a community vigil from 5–6 p.m. on August 31 at Franklin Town Common. Additionally, SAFE will work with community members to plant memorial flag displays in Franklin, Wrentham, Norfolk, and Medway. This annual event is intended to end overdose, remember those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of those left behind.
The vigil is hosted by SAFE Coalition (www.safecoalitionma.org) a local nonprofit committed to inclusive and judgement-free support for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and family support.
Franklin’s IOAD vigil is one of several events SAFE is hosting across southeastern Massachusetts. “Each year, we have the privilege to come together as a community and remember those we’ve lost to the disease of addiction,” said Jen Levine, CEO and co-founder of SAFE. “It’s important to place the flags and hold these vigils because they create a space to meet, talk, and be with others who have felt similar losses.”
The threat of overdose is both serious and urgent. Massachusetts experienced 1,763 fatal overdoses in 2024, and more than 80,391 people died from overdose nationwide. Each loss sends ripples of grief through families, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
This year, thousands of communities worldwide will participate in IOAD, a time to honor those who have died or suffered due to overdose. Established in 2001, IOAD seeks to reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, remember those who died of overdose, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use.
The theme of IOAD 2025 is “One Big Family, Driven by Hope.” It reflects the idea that while overdose fractures families and communities, it also reveals how deeply connected we are—and how powerful we can be when we show up for one another. This year, we honor those we’ve lost by standing together in hope, compassion, and action. Participate in the global day of acknowledgment using the hashtags #OneBigFamily #DrivenByHope #IOAD2025 #EndOverdose.
With support groups, educational courses, events, training, support services and more, SAFE provides a whole-person, whole-family, whole-community approach to addiction, prevention, and recovery.
SAFE is seeking volunteers to help plant and remove memorial flags for IOAD. Visit https://www.safecoalitionma.org/ioad to sign up and learn more.
