Adorned in purple glow necklaces, candles in hand and stickers attached to their clothes stating, “I walk for…,’” more than 200 residents, city officials and law enforcement gathered at the Hope Hose Humane Company 1 in Bordentown City on the evening Nov. 14 to show their support and consolidation for the victims of drug addiction.
With more than 750 suspected drug related fatalities recorded in New Jersey this year, the Bordentown Young Professionals Rotary organized a “Rotary4Recovery” event that featured speeches from the city mayor and victims of addiction followed by candle light walk through Bordentown City to “break the stigma” of not discussing addiction in support of addict survivors and to remember those who have fallen from addiction.
When co-chairperson of the Young Professionals Rotary, Hillary Moore, joined the group three months ago, she knew something had to be done to address the persistent issue of addiction in local communities.
Moore, who lost her father to alcoholism eight years ago, wanted to organize an event to show victims of addiction and their families that they aren’t alone in their struggle.
“We wanted to hit the ground running and not waste a minute. Too many people were dying,” Moore said. “[Tonight is about] breaking the stigma. Nobody talks about addiction. We all pretend that addiction doesn’t exist and that we all suffer in silence because of it.
“My dad was suffering from his addiction. I didn’t tell anybody, and I don’t want anybody else to feel like that, ever.”
As the evening’s processions began, residents at the firehouse gathered around with communal refreshments and live music, but soon took a serious approach when multiple speakers came forth to a podium in the room to address the significance of the night’s event.
Bordentown City Mayor James Lynch spoke to attendees at the event, as he discussed the importance of this issue in the community and why it needs to be addressed.
“This is too serious; this is a big problem in our community,” Lynch said. “Anybody in this room who’s been touched by it, but anybody in town or the township that’s been touched by addiction in some way, shape or form in the county, state and country.”
After Lynch touched on collective efforts between Bordentown City and Township officials to combat addiction and support those in need of help, recovering addict and a participating member of the Rotary, Angelique Flynn, shared her personal struggles and triumphs over addiction with the audience.
By contrasting her most recent personal achievements and success, Flynn shared her story of her struggle with drugs and addiction soon after to what she described as the “darkest days of her life.”
“I tell you all of this because this wasn’t always my story. My story was filled with dark days, pain and suffering, and sometimes now, it’s hard to believe I survived that,” Flynn said. “Our hope is that by openly talking about our experiences as addicts or with addicts, or simply as people who care, we can help to end the stigma associated with addiction.”
Moments before the crowd commiserated outside with the lighting of candles to begin their walk, city police chaplain, Father Matt Tucker, read a list of more than 45 names of people both living and fallen who are fighting and fought addiction.
As the evening’s event concluded, the patrons made their way around downtown Bordentown along Farnsworth Avenue with candles in-hand in support of their loved ones who were affected by addiction.
