A memorial for overdose victims was held at Jack Dalton Park on April 30. Visitors were invited to place pictures of loved ones on a memorial table, and candles were distributed for lighting in remembrance. Several local organizations — including the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Piedmont Community Services, and Virginia Harm Reduction — were on-site to provide information and support for families who have lost someone to overdose.
Ariel Johnson speaks out about the effects of overdose in her life and on the community.
“Your presence speaks volumes, not only about your care for this issue but your love for the people we’ve lost and the people we continue to fight for,” said Ariel Johnson, Martinsville director of operations for Virginia Harm Reduction and director of the warming center.
Johnson lost her father, Charles Lee Gann, to an overdose on April 29, 2001. She now focuses on raising awareness about fentanyl, a dangerous new drug spreading through the community. Many speakers, including local law enforcement officers, shared personal stories about the painful impact of drug use in the area.
“We think that fentanyl overdose is a tragic event that affects everyone. It’s not just a personnel problem, it’s not just a sheriff’s office problem, it’s not just a family problem, it’s a community problem,” said Captain Tim Compton. The Sheriff’s Office reaffirmed its commitment to removing drug dealers from the community in hopes of preventing further loss.
“We lose people not just to fentanyl—but to the silence that keeps them from asking for help.
We are well beyond the days of waiting for someone to ‘hit rock bottom.’ Because now, rock bottom is often death. One pill, one time, one attempt at relief from pain, or trauma, or just the weight of the world—and that’s all it takes. Fentanyl doesn’t give second chances.”
Training on how to use Naloxone—an opioid overdose reversal drug—was offered during the event, and free boxes of the life-saving medication were made available to the public.
“We are tired — tired of burying our sons and daughters, our siblings and parents, our friends and neighbors. But we’re also determined. We’re standing here as proof that while fentanyl may have taken so many, it hasn’t taken our will to fight for the living.”
The memorial was intended to give families and friends a space to grieve and to open the door for community healing and prevention.
Johnson encourages anyone struggling with addiction to visit Virginia Harm Reduction for safe supplies and information. Those interested in carrying Naloxone and learning how to use it can also stop by the Virginia Harm Reduction office, located in the Holiday Shopping Center in Collinsville.
