The fifth annual Festival of Hope is set for September 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Anchor Church in Easton and includes the ninth-year kick-off for Talbot Goes Purple.
Talbot Goes Purple is a community substance use prevention initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office. The annual Festival of Hope is a kick-off celebration also highlights the power of recovery and concludes with a memorial that honors people lost to substance use.
Previous year events saw 300 to 400 attendees, along with 30+ community vendors.
This year’s festival again includes free food; live music with Christ Church; family fun including a dunking booth with Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble, bounce house and games; activities with the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office including K-9 demonstrations; resource tables; and a memorial for those lost.
“We are excited for year nine of Talbot Goes Purple and hope everyone comes out to celebrate with us,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble, who founded Talbot Goes Purple in 2016. “The event will include lots of fun for everyone and conclude with a memorial that honors those we’ve lost to this epidemic.”
Overdose deaths in Maryland last year decreased by 38% from 2023 – the second straight year of decreases. State officials in February reported 1,552 fatal overdoses for 2024 – the lowest number recorded in a decade.
Officials attribute the decrease to several factors, including the availability of Naloxone, the opioid reversal medication; improved education about fentanyl in the drug supply; and accessibility of medications that treat opioid use disorder. But, despite the encouraging decreases overdoses remain the leading cause of death in those aged 18 to 44.
“Our initiative has always focused on our youth, and how we can help educate them about the dangers of fentanyl,” said Gamble. “Fentanyl continues to drive overdose deaths in our young people and is increasingly found in counterfeit pills that are sold right online. The potency of a single counterfeit pill containing fentanyl can prove deadly. We have to continue educating young people about the realities of substance use.”
Gamble continues his efforts at educating the community on opioids and has expanded the conversation to include counterfeit pills and cannabis. Easton is poised to get its first cannabis dispensary, and education and conversations about youth and cannabis are critically important.
Gamble encourages communities and particularly parents and caregivers of children ages 11 to 17, to ‘Get the Facts, Get Involved and Get Talking.’ Talbot Goes Purple’s website includes important resources including facts, resources, and tips on talking about substance use with young people. Anyone wanting more information to get involved can email talbotgoespurple.org.
Talbot Goes Purple is a community prevention program that empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance use. The initiative includes purple clubs in our local schools, through which students learn they do not need drugs, including alcohol, to meet life’s challenges.
The community can again display purple lights and gear starting Sept. 1 and throughout the month as a show of taking a stand against substance abuse. More information is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find TGP on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple.
Talbot Goes Purple is in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter and Paul Schools, and Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
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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