Jul 13, 2018 3 min read

In 2017, the Rev. Kimberley Kirksey took to Facebook when her sister attempted suicide after grappling with addiction.

“I’m letting everyone know that their lives matter,” she wrote. “Your life matters.”

A year later, Kirksey’s sister is seeking treatment and Kirksey is organizing a march to broadcast the same message she shared on social media to those combating addiction and to their families.

At 10 a.m. July 29, Kirksey invites members of the community to gather at the Washington County Courthouse, from where they will then walk about a mile to the Alpine Bowling Alley on Jefferson Avenue. There, ministers from a range of denominations will lead participants in prayer and song.

“We’re going to come together in one body of Christ,” said Kirksey, who ministers at the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bentleyville. “We’re reaching out.”

The opioid epidemic, which prompted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to declare a public health emergency last year, has hit Washington County especially hard. Last year, drug overdoses killed 97 people in the county. The vast majority of deaths involved opioids.

Along with her sister, Kirkley also has two sons who struggle with addiction. She said those with addiction tend to face judgement from the general public, which can be difficult especially when they already feel worthless and hopeless.

“There will be no judgement at this walk,” she promised. “This is a walk of love, of understanding.”

Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan will also speak at the bowling alley, alongside mothers who have lost children to overdoses. One 12-year-old child, whose mother died from an overdose on Mother’s Day, will sing for the marchers.

Representatives from the Washington CARE Center will be available to educate those who are struggling with addiction and their families about fentanyl, a highly lethal opiate that has been involved in the deaths of 21 people in Washington County this year.

Fentanyl looks identical to heroin, but is far deadlier – a 3 milligram dose of the drug is enough to kill the average-sized adult male, compared to a 30 milligram dose of heroin.

So far, more than 100 people have bought a T-shirt from a fundraiser for the march, so Kirkley expects a crowd at the courthouse come July 29. She encourages people who are struggling with addiction to attend.

“If they want to experience God, they need to join us,” she said. “We will show them the way out.”

T-shirts can be purchased online for $18 at www.fanaticimpressionspa.com. Scroll over “Active Custom Stores” and click on “Your Life Matters.” Call Kirksey with questions about the march at 330-256-3887.