Delco Hosting Addition Prevention, Recovery Event Saturday

Celebrating recovery and prevention, Delaware County Council will join the Delaware County Heroin Task Force, District Attorney Katayoun Copeland, Chair of the Heroin Task Force, and the Partners for Success Coalition to hold the 4th annual Celebrating Prevention Community Day on Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Rose Tree Park in Nether Providence Township.

"Community Day is a day designated to celebrate prevention and recovery. It is about coming together as a collective community, sharing personal recovery stories and recognizing that overcoming addiction is happening, and that recovery is possible," District Attorney Katayoun Copeland, Chair of the Delaware County Heroin Task Force, said. "We know that our nation and our county is battling a prescription drug and heroin epidemic. But we also know that people are overcoming addiction with assistance from county resources, such as our Certified Recovery Specialist program."

Each year the event is held to raise awareness about drug abuse and addiction in a family friendly setting with activities that celebrate prevention and recovery.

In addition to free food and live music, various participating drug prevention and rehabilitation organizations provide resources and services for parents and teens.

At the event, the Heroin Task Force Mobile Drug Collection Unit will be on site for residents to dispose of their expired and unwanted medications.

Through the county-wide drug drop box program, more than 20,000 pounds of drugs have been collected since October 2013.

Since the start of this year alone, more than 1,000 pounds of drugs have been collected by the Unit.

Also at the event, the Heroin Task Force and Partners for Success Coalition will recognize the 2018 Prevention Partner Award recipients, who were selected for their outstanding and dedicated work in prevention and education.

These individuals include Sergeant Anthony Vaughn, who has been a police officer with the Upper Darby Township Police Department for 20 years and has been an integral part of the Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE) Task Force of Delaware County since its inception in 2014.

Also being recognized are six sixth-grade students from East Lansdowne Elementary School for their efforts toward prevention in their community including participating in Red Ribbon Week.

Image via Delaware County