The Fentanyl Free Communities Foundation’s May 17 gala in Saint Paul, Minnesota, featured powerful messages from community leaders and advocates, each shedding light on the urgency of addressing the fentanyl crisis.
The evening opened with Michelle Loberg, who led a symbolic exercise where attendees stood to represent those who survived a dose of illicit fentanyl, while those seated represented lives lost—highlighting the grim reality that most counterfeit pills are deadly.
Michele Hein, the foundation’s chair, shared her deeply personal story of losing her son Tyler to fentanyl poisoning. She discussed the foundation’s mission of creating fentanyl-free communities, focusing on education, advocacy, and partnerships to combat the epidemic.
Next, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt spoke about her “Focus on Fentanyl” initiative, which tackles the crisis through a combination of treatment, enforcement, and education. Sheriff Witt also shared her personal experience growing up in a home impacted by addiction, emphasizing the importance of treating individuals with humanity.
Paul Ostrow, chair of the foundation’s policy board, shared his career-long commitment to addressing drug issues and expressed his admiration for the many families in attendance who have turned their loss into action.
The evening concluded with U.S. Representative Angie Craig, who passionately discussed her bipartisan efforts to combat fentanyl through legislation, including holding social media platforms accountable for enabling drug sales. She shared her personal connection to the issue, recounting the loss of her son’s birth mother to an overdose and her goddaughter’s battle with addiction.
The gala was a night of reflection, advocacy, and hope for a future free from fentanyl’s devastating impact.
