Buddy Hart was one of two guest speakers at the Sixth Annual Overdose Vigil, held at Dubois Ruritan Park on Thursday evening. Hart has been sober for 38 years. He spoke about the devastating realization he was an alcoholic, the people that supported him in his path to sobriety and the importance of having a community of sobriety around you to remain sober.
Loss was the connecting thread among those attending the Sixth Annual Overdose Vigil at Dubois Ruritan Park Thursday evening.
Whether through a friend, a family member or a coworker, overdose deaths have affected many throughout our community. Through moments of laughter and tears, the vigil brought together more than a hundred people to recognize those lost. The 50 names read off during the vigil testify to the lasting impact on the community.
Marlana Barber brought a photo of her son, Andrew Dodd, to the vigil. Andrew was 24 when he died from an overdose in 2020. It was her first time attending the event. She appreciated the vigil for recognizing those lost and its support of those in recovery.
Fortunately, overdose deaths have been dropping in recent years. According to the CDC, in 2023, the national rate of overdose deaths in the United States dropped 3 percent. This is the first drop since 2018; Indiana saw an 18 percent reduction last year.
While the candles were lit for mourning over the lost, a butterfly release also signified transformation, hope and perseverance for those still struggling and fighting to overcome substance use disorders.
The Dubois County Advocacy for Recovery and Prevention Council (formerly the Substance Abuse Council) hosts the annual event.
Attendees were invited to add the names of their loved ones lost to overdose deaths to a board. Those names were read during the candlelight vigil.
Angie Fischer hugged Megan Durlauf. Fischer struggled with meth addiction and found recovery through The Dove House in Jasper. Durlauf is the director of the Jasper location. Fischer is now a resident advisor in the home. She spoke briefly about her struggles and the impact of the community she found through recovery.
Gavin Jones-Scott, 23, is a resident at Behind the Wire, an addiction treatment ministry in Loogootee. From Evansville, Gavin said he was mourning the deaths of several friends who had overdosed. He overdosed last year, and his cousin, who was a resident at The Dove House in Jasper at the time, introduced him to Behind the Wire, where he was eventually accepted.
Attendees held a butterfly release to honor those lost to substance use disorder. “Butterflies symbolize transformation, hope, and the enduring spirit of our loved ones,” DCARC Director April Jones said before the release. “May these butterflies carry our love and remembrance to the heavens.”
Rachel Dearing, a resident at Dove House, smiled as the butterflies were released Thursday evening.
Brynlee Mehne, 7, (left) asked her mom, Jenna Mehne, both of Celestine, why she was crying during the butterfly release. After her family lost two close family members to overdose deaths, many times butterflies would appear around their home. When they did, Jenna said her daughters would tell her they meant Andrew, one of the family members who had passed away, was near.
