Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble and Tidewater Rotary invite everyone to attend a community film screening and discussion this month in support of Talbot Goes Purple.
Free screenings of ‘If Only,’ a short film about the dangers of teen prescription drug misuse, are set for 6:30 p.m. at Easton High School on Sept. 25 and 6:30 p.m. at St. Michaels Middle High School on Sept. 26. Each event also includes an information resource fair at 5:30 p.m. Presented by the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and Millennium Health, ‘If Only’ raises awareness about the dangers of teen prescription drug misuse and abuse.
Both screenings include a conversation with James Wahlberg, who co-wrote and produced the film, and with Valerie Albee, who founded Mariah’s Mission Fund after losing her daughter, Mariah, to a heroin overdose on Sept. 7, 2012.
“We’ve made great progress having the ‘new conversation’ and educating our kids and families about the Good Samaritan Law and Narcan,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “Still, overdose deaths continue to climb and we’ve got to continue this conversation if we are going to turn the tide on this deadly epidemic.”
Four in-school screenings also are set for students at Easton Middle School, Easton High School, St. Michaels Middle High School, Saints Peter and Paul and The Country School. Those events are not open to the public.
The screenings are part of September’s Talbot Goes Purple, an awareness and prevention program that empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse. The initiative includes purple clubs in our middle and high schools through which students learn they do not need drugs or alcohol to meet life’s challenges. The purpose of the project is to promote the ‘new conversation’ – one that includes prescription drugs.
For purple gear, visit our online store at www.TalbotGoesPurple.org. Get your lights online or at ED Supply in Easton or on our website.
More information is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find us on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact us at [email protected].
Talbot Goes Purple is in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools and Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Generous support for the project at the ‘purple’ level includes: Easton Utilities; Michael & Nancy Klein Foundation; Michael Marcell Memorial Fund; Preston Automotive Group/Safehouse/iFrog; Shore Bancshares; Spring & Associates; Star Democrat; St. John’s Foundation; Town of Oxford; University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and West and Callahan.
Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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