LYNNFIELD — The second annual “A Night of Hope” will be held on Sunday at Lynnfield Middle School.
While last year’s event attracted 600 attendees who marched to the Town Common and stood in solidarity, side-by-side during the speaking portion of the program, this year’s event will feature a motor vehicle processional due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
“We were hoping to do what we did last year, which was just a fabulous event that brought the community together,” said Carmela Dalton, president of the Think of Michael Foundation. “We initially toyed with the idea of doing a Zoom event, but that’s so impersonal, so we came up with the idea of the procession. We’re not able to have speakers and people can stand outside the car, but there will be no interaction. We want to stick to the guidelines, especially now.
“It is important to do this, as September is National Recovery Month, and we are trying to raise awareness for those in recovery and those who have lost someone, and it’s our chance to offer them love, compassion and prayers.”
The event, which starts at 6:30 p.m,. is a joint venture with A Healthy Lynnfield (AHL).
“Both organizations hope to bring the community together to recognize that Lynnfield is not immune to the impact of the opioid crisis,” said AHL Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Peg Sallade in a statement. “This event is focused on the tremendous journey to recovery on which people with substance use disorders embark. By participating in the car parade, you ‘join the journey’ with those that struggle every day to reclaim their lives from this disease and show support.”
Once again, the event is to support National Recovery Month.
“Opioid abuse has no community boundaries. We all know someone — a friend, a loved one, a colleague, a coworker, a neighbor — impacted by substance use or mental health,” said Sallade. “This event is a way to say, ‘Lynnfield is a community that supports those impacted and those on their journey of recovery.'”
Dalton said people who are struggling with addiction and recovery are especially at risk due to the pandemic
“They have been devastated by not only the loss of employment and its financial impact, but also the forced cancellation of all support groups and changes to individual therapy access – both critical to sustaining sobriety, especially in early recovery,” Dalton said. “It’s really been so impactful, as a lot of sober houses don’t want to be overcrowded, so there’s been a lot of Zoom-type treatment for them only because they have lost safe places to go.”
The evening will include a brief motor vehicle procession beginning and ending at the middle school. Lynnfield Common will be decorated with all things purple, including lights, ribbons, and hundreds of purple flags. Following the processional, purple votives will be lit and several members of Lynnfield’s clergy will offer a special blessing.
Participants are encouraged to use their creativity and show their support by decorating their cars. Homeowners are asked to show their support for the cause by displaying purple ribbons and lights in their windows.
Social distancing and face masks are mandatory. Participants must either stay inside their vehicles or stand next to them.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there were four opioid-related overdose deaths recorded in 2019 for Lynnfield.
For more information about the event contact Dalton at [email protected] or Sallade at [email protected].
The mission of the Think of Michael Foundation is to help individuals and families battling substance-use disorder and create effective change where change is needed. The foundation is named in memory of Michael Dalton, a Lynnfield resident who lost his battle with substance abuse and died in 2018 from an opioid overdose while in an outpatient treatment program.
A Healthy Lynnfield aims to empower residents to make positive choices every day. It works to prevent substance misuse, to improve the quality of life for those impacted, and to support programs that help all young people thrive.
