Two Fundraisers Benefit Community in Crisis

Community in Crisis (CIC), a Somerset County prevention organization focused singularly on opioid addiction, will take its fight against the opioid epidemic into the ring on Saturday, October 7, when it will hold a boxing fundraiser in Manhattan at OverThrow NYC GYM, 9 Bleeker St., New York, NY 10012. The cost for participation is $35 and all proceeds will be donated to CIC. Individuals can register by visiting: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=vv9fz4yab&oeidk=a07eeluic4ece8fdf1f.

Participants of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Boxing Fundraiser will engage in a 45-minute boxing class. The event begins at 4 p.m. and participants are encouraged to arrive at 3:30 p.m. to get their hands wrapped. “We hope that a fun event like this and the cause it supports will appeal to the audience we're trying to attract - the 18 - 30 year old population," commented Amanda Sabatelle, chair of the fundraiser. "Many of us live and work in New York City after enjoying a wonderful upbringing in suburbs like my hometown, Basking Ridge, and we are all personally connected to victims of this disease. It hits hard when you hear of yet another overdose death. As a volunteer for Community in Crisis, these fundraising events geared to young adults are my way of helping to bring addiction out of the shadows, and to reach out to those in pain with resources and support."

The event is a continuation of Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day, being held October 6 throughout the state of New Jersey that mobilizes volunteers to distribute vital information about the potential for dependency on prescribed pain medicine and its link to the heroin abuse rate.

Another CIC fundraiser, a competitive 5K, is being held October 8^th at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church, Liberty Corner NJ. The event is open to runners and walkers of all ages, with a shorter 1 mile family course for the youngest participants. Childcare is available for children (infants through age four) of those participating in the race at no charge. The course begins and ends on the campus of Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church. Check in opens with continental breakfast at 8:00am, followed by a worship service at 9:30am and the race start at 10:30am. The event will end with a picnic lunch on the lawn at 11:30. For more information and to sign up, visit http://libertycorner.org/events/runwalkcheer-5k.

Each year money raised through sponsorship, registration fees, and donations for Run/Walk/Cheer 5K benefits charitable organizations and, this year, net proceeds from Run/Walk/Cheer 5K will be donated to Community in Crisis and PAUSE Ministries to aid in the fight against the opioid crisis and addiction.

Jean O’Connell, CIC Treasurer, said, “We are so grateful to the leadership and congregation at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church – their gesture to support our mission is very much appreciated by our volunteers and supporters. This church has a rich history of community involvement and this is yet another example of their caring and kindness.”

Community in Crisis is a 501(c)(3) coalition of concerned citizens, community agencies, organizations, schools, churches and law enforcement made up of working groups with a mission to create a community united in fighting the heroin/opiate crisis by reducing substance abuse, removing the stigma of addiction and preventing overdose deaths.

Community in Crisis offers bi-weekly support groups for families struggling with addiction, innovative educational opportunities in the school environment, medicine take-back days, town hall meetings, and more. Additionally, Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the Horizon Foundation have partnered with Community in Crisis to produce and scale out an evidence-based community toolkit for implementation by communities across NJ. Community in Crisis continues to grow, diversify and secure funding, bring in new volunteers and serve the community with new, inventive outreach programs. For more information or to get involved, please contact info@communityincrisis.org or visit www.communityincrisis.org and www.facebook.com/groups/EndOverdoses.

More than 33,000 people in the United States died of opioid overdoses in 2015, and the number of such deaths quadrupled from 1999 to 2015. Opioid pain relievers that are abused are most often obtained via prescription from physicians, and users of prescription drugs are 40 times more likely to use heroin, according to the CDC.