LYNNFIELD — In observance of National Recovery Month, the Think of Michael Foundation and A Healthy Lynnfield will host the fifth annual Night of Hope walk on Sunday, Sept. 17 at Lynnfield Middle School.
Attendees gather at the school every year in September to walk toward the Town Common in remembrance of Michael Dalton, who died of an opioid overdose five years ago.
Dalton’s parents, Dick and Carmela Dalton, founded Think of Michael in honor of their son and to help those who are fighting addiction.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of him,” Carmela Dalton said. “Over these past five years, the Think of Michael Foundation has touched so many lives. More than once, we were told that we have saved people’s lives. As I said many times in the past, if we can save a life, we have accomplished our goal.”
Along with the walk, the event will feature speakers sharing their recovery stories at the Town Common. Starting at 5 p.m., town residents can pick up free T-shirts at the school. The walk will begin at 6 p.m.
A special rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Along” will be sung by Boston anthem singer Todd Angilly, of Lynnfield. Following the performance, residents will light candles for a vigil at the Town Common.
Carmela Dalton said the Think of Michael Foundation has helped people in the community become comfortable with the idea of seeking help and aided those in recovery by providing scholarships for them to live in sober houses.
“These efforts are made in the hope of addressing the stigma associated with mental-health issues and substance-use disorders,” Carmela Dalton said. “The goal is to reinforce the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery.”
