Annual Candlelight Overdose Vigil

About the Vigil

Dozens of community members gathered on August 27th, 2019 for a candlelight vigil in remembrance of those we’ve lost to drug overdoses, and to raise awareness about the scourge of drug addiction and overdose throughout the country.

Families were invited to submit the names and photos of their loved ones prior to the event to be shown as part of a remembrance slideshow. The slideshow, in the intimate setting of the vigil, provided a rare opportunity for families affected by loss to remember and celebrate their lost loved ones publicly. The photos also served as a stark reminder that drug addiction has become ubiquitous, affecting diverse communities in our area and across the nation.

The Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force uses numerous outreach opportunities throughout the year to increase awareness of prescription opiate and heroin abuse and addiction, and they assist in the creation of programs to help educate residents of the resources available to prevent and treat addiction.

 

About the Speaker: Elizabeth Bakey

Elizabeth Bakey is a longtime resident of Camden County. She was raised in Gloucester City, where she currently resides and works as a teacher at Gloucester City High School. Elizabeth is the daughter of George and Carol Bakey, whom she describes as both loving and supportive. Elizabeth is also one of six  children. Her sister, Jackie, struggled and lost her fight with addiction. Elizabeth is honored to share her story about love, loss, and healing.

Elizabeth was honored to share her story about love, loss, and healing.  Click here for her speech.

 

Remembrance & Hope Memorial

Coming in 2020, Camden County’s Remembrance & Hope Memorial and Reflection Garden to be located in Timber Creek Park. The memorial will give a place for loved ones to gather, honor, and remember those we have lost to the disease of addiction.

 

About the Addiction Awareness Task Force

Since its inception in 2004, the Addiction Awareness Task Force has distributed over 30,000 pieces of educational literature throughout the county, held community awareness and educational events with over 10,000 attendees, and worked with local municipalities and law enforcement to expand access to medication drop boxes and implement Project S.A.V.E.

In addition, the task force’s Narcan/naloxone training program has equipped residents with overdose prevention kits, and provided every law enforcement agency in Camden County with Narcan, resulting in hundreds of Narcan saves countywide.

The task force works to help and educate residents on the resources available to prevent and treat addiction. If you or a loved one needs help please call our 24/7 toll-free confidential hotline for addiction help at (877) 266-8222 or call 911 in the event of an emergency.

The Camden County Office of Mental Health and Addiction is located in the Michael J. DiPiero Center for Human Services, 512 Lakeland Road in Gloucester Township. You can reach them by phone at (856) 374-6361.

 

Photo Gallery


In
Remembrance

if your loved one was not remembered in this years event and you would like them to be remembered next year, please submit them here.

Edward Adamski, III

Robert Jay Adamson

Christian Alessi

Mauricio Daniel Andrade

Kenneth J. Arnold, Jr.

Rebecca Baehr

Emil LaSalle Baehr,IV

Christopher Baggiano

Jacqueline Bakey

Samantha Ann Baldermann

Robert Joseph Baltzell

Vincent Barber, Jr.

Scott Beach, Jr.

Ryan B. Beard

Daniel “Dan” Bennis

Matthew Thomas Beradi

Raymond Blaine

Andrew Blau

William Bohrer

Anthony Jon Buchanan

Sean Douglas Burdick

Taylor Burgess

Erin Jessica Campbell

Robert Kevin Cannon, Jr.

Zach Capner

Matthew Shane Caringi

Randy M. Carter

Kyle Clay Cary

Vincent Chiro

Justin Joseph Cigolini

Christopher A. Cisco

Sandra Clark

Joseph Edward Cobb

Brent Lonsdale Cofer

William K. (Billy) Colbert

Jason Covel

Jay Crudele

Dennis M. D’Angelo, Jr.

John Dafeldecker, Jr

Eric (Ricky) Damiani

Gregory Dawson

Steven Derieux

Robin Diehl

Charles Arthur DiTullio

Eric Donahue

Liza Michaela Dorfman

Jesse J. Duer

Erik Dukes

Jessica Marie Duncan

John Paul Dunn

Donald R. Eaise, III

Brian Eldridge

Michelle L. Emmett

Amy Marie Ershen

Thomas Evans

Richard Ferrer

Andrew Fisher

Danielle Flanagan

Victoria Mary Fox

Michael C. Foyle

Kenneth Franks

Brice Frazer

Daniel Freitag

Jena Marie Fuqua

Devin Gallagher

Michael Joseph Gallagher, Jr.

Andrew Michael Genovese

Brendan Gillen

Thomas Goldy, III

AJ Guerina

Donald Joseph Hahn, III

Josh Hale

Elizabeth Elinore Hand

Brian Henszey

Kavita Hooja

Eric Hubbs

Michael Iaconelli

Ami Lynne Irwin

Glenn Albert Jones, Jr.

Devereaux James Jorden

Sean Patrick Kelly

Christopher Klein

Christopher J. Klemash

Ashley Mae Koodray

Brandon Leonce Lagarde

Shane Daniel LaRocca

Mary E. Lavin

Sambo Lawlor Loux

Anthony Lucidonio, III

Ralph J. Lusi

Dennis Michael Maddolo

Sean David Manning

Salvatore Marchese

Elliot Matos, Jr.

James Maude

Ramon McConnell

Brian Michael McDermott

Chelsea Austreen Milligan

Justin Fredrick Mitchell

Heather Lynn Morrow

Ryan Patrick Mulholland

Nicholas M. Munro

Michael Murray

Patty Nerosa

John “JJ” Paris

William J Parker, Jr.

Grace Pedrick

George Thomas Peeke

Darren Dino Pelosi

Christina Lynn Plower

Gary P. Reichert Jr.

Colin William Riebel

John Rizzo

Samuel A. Russo

Joshua David Ryder

Luca Ramon Salas

Valerie Sannuti

Rafael Santiago, Jr.

Andrew Scharle

Daniel Schreffler

James A. Scully

Vincent Sebastian

Dylan Joseph Seguin

Joseph Severa

King W. Shaffer

Gerald A. Shields, Jr.

Kimi Slotnick

Nicholas Scott Smarra

Steven Nicholas Snyder

Alicia Spiegel

Ashley Arianna Staffieri

Michael Starzi

Matthew Thomas Sweda

Meagan Ruth Sweeney

Fred Taylor

Julie Thomson

John Richard Tiberino

Steven L. Unruh

Dennis Vesper

Michael Wakeley

Richard Weldon, Jr.

Brian Wetherbee

Daniel Ryan Weymer

Lloyd Andrew White

William Stanley Wills

Holly Wojciechowski

Justin Matthew Wolfe

Steven Robert Wood

Carol Youngkin

Joe Zampirri