SAUGUS — The Saugus Prevention Coalition is planning its second Hope & Remembrance Vigil to bring awareness to substance abuse and remember those who have died.
While the coalition is still figuring out the main logistics for the event, the goal remains the same.
The discussion during the coalition’s Monday meeting began with the hope of being able to host the event at Town Hall again, though the group hasn’t heard back from the town as to whether that would be possible.
“And I think we started at 5:30 last year, which was a little early,” Regional Youth Substance Use Prevention Manager Krystal Mellonakos said.
The group will be using LED candles again this year during the vigil and is looking to push the time back to 6:30 p.m. so the lights are more visible.
Though the coalition hasn’t heard a response from Saugus yet, the plan is to put together what is needed and create a save-the-date to ensure the event actually takes place.
The group is also planning what tables should be at the event to provide resources to those who come.
“We are going to try and limit the tables a little. … I think we tried to not put it out as a resource event, but we tried to have the main supports that we could offer people. We didn’t want to overwhelm the whole point,” coalition founder Katy Dos Santos said.
It was noted that October is Overdose Remembrance Month, while September is Recovery Month, which typically focuses more on a celebration for those in recovery rather than remembering those who died.
“We titled it Hope and Remembrance so it kind of combined both overdose awareness with recovery,” Dos Santos said.
Coalition member and Town Meeting member Matt Parlante said they honored those who died by reading out their names and ringing the bell provided by the Saugus Fire Department, while also bringing speakers to talk about their journeys to recovery.
Last year’s speakers included Shannon White, Eric Mazzeo, and Nick Zell, who each had their own struggles with substance abuse. Having them share their stories was a way to show the community that there is hope for recovery.
